On World Polio Day, UNICEF has issued a stark warning: polio cases in fragile and conflict-affected countries have more than doubled in the past five years, and 85 percent of children affected by the disease in 2023 will live in these regions.
“In conflicts, children face more than just bombs and bullets; “They are at risk of contracting deadly diseases that should no longer exist,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. A new analysis from the agency highlights that vaccination coverage has fallen from 75 to 70 percent, well below the 95 percent needed to achieve community immunity.
“In many countries, we are witnessing the collapse of health systems, the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure and the displacement of families, triggering a resurgence of diseases such as polio,” he continued.
Impact on countries affected by conflict
The resurgence of polio has been most pronounced in conflict zones. Of the 21 countries currently fighting polio, 15 are fragile or conflict-affected, including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
In Gaza, following the return of polio to the region for the first time in 25 years, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched an emergency polio vaccination campaign in September, reaching almost 600,000 minor children. of 10 years. However, new bombings and massive displacements have delayed the end of the campaign in northern Gaza.
Humanitarian pauses are critical
The UNICEF report highlights that successful polio vaccination campaigns in fragile and conflict-affected countries are crucial to suppressing new outbreaks. Humanitarian pauses, which allow health workers to safely access affected communities, are essential to these efforts.
UNICEF, which delivers more than one billion doses of polio vaccines annually, called on governments and international partners to take urgent action to stop the spread of the disease.
'The final push'
“The spread of polio not only puts children in affected countries at immediate risk, but also represents a growing threat to neighboring countries,” added Ms Russell.
“The last push is the hardest, but now is the time to act. “We cannot rest until every child, in every corner of the world, is safe from polio, once and for all.”
