Gaza's First Polio Case In 25 Years Hits 10-Month-Old Boy Amid Humanitarian Crisis

Health officials in Gaza had been warning about the possibility of a polio outbreak due to the worsening humanitarian conditions caused by the conflict.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 28 August 2024 8:18 am

Displaced infant Abdel-Rahman Abu El-Jedian, who suffers from polio, sleeps at a makeshift tent camp in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 Photo: AP

A 10-month-old Palestinian boy named Abdel-Rahman Abuel-Jedian, born during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, was once an active baby until one day when he suddenly stopped crawling - his left leg was paralyzed, marking Gaza’s first confirmed case of polio in 25 years, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Health officials in Gaza had been warning about the possibility of a polio outbreak due to the worsening humanitarian conditions caused by the conflict.

Abdel-Rahman, unfortunately, missed his vaccination because he was born just before the escalation of the war on October 7. The violence forced his family to flee immediately, disrupting essential health services, including regular vaccinations for newborns.

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Polio is a highly contagious disease that can cause permanent paralysis, especially in children. While most people infected with polio do not show symptoms, those who do can face irreversible damage. The WHO warns that for every case of paralysis, hundreds more may be infected without knowing it.

The Abuel-Jedian family now lives in a crowded tent camp in Deir al-Balah, surrounded by unsanitary conditions that can easily spread diseases like polio. The United Nations is planning a vaccination campaign to protect other children, but it can only proceed if a cease-fire is achieved. The UN aims to vaccinate at least 95 per cent of Gaza’s children under 10, with 1.2 million vaccine doses already in Gaza and more on the way, according to UNICEF.

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“If this is not implemented, it could have disastrous effects, not only for the children in Gaza but also for neighboring countries,” said UNICEF spokesperson Ammar Ammar.

The boy's mother, Nevine Abuel-Jedian, remains hopeful as she watches over her son. "I hope he returns to be like his siblings, sitting down and moving," she said.