• Supported by a US$5M commitment, the campaign will enable the inoculation of more than 640,000 Gazan children, delivered in cooperation with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and UNRWA 

• The vaccination campaign represents a critical effort to prevent an outbreak after the poliovirus was detected in Gaza. The territory has since recorded its first case of paralytic polio in 25 years 

Abu Dhabi, UAE 

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, has directed funding for the delivery of a critical polio vaccination drive in Gaza following the re-emergence of the virus within the territory. The campaign will be supported by a pledge of US$5M from the UAE. 

Delivered in collaboration with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and UNRWA, the two-round campaign will provide over 640,000 Gazan children under the age of 10 with two doses of the polio vaccine, in an effort to stop the spread of the virus and prevent a wider regional outbreak. 

The campaign will begin Sunday, Sept. 1st, in a staggered schedule, starting in Central Gaza and then moving to South and then North Gaza. Each phase will continue for three days during area-specific humanitarian pauses, to enable children and families to access health facilities and community workers to reach children. 

Some 1.26 million doses of the polio vaccine have been delivered to Gaza in preparation for distribution, with a further 400,000 doses due to arrive soon. More than 2,100 health workers, including mobile teams, will support the delivery of both rounds of the campaign. 

At least 90 percent vaccination coverage is needed during each round to prevent the spread of polio, given the overcrowding, displacement and severely disrupted health, water and sanitation systems within Gaza. 

Campaign planning began after the poliovirus was detected in Gaza in July 2024. The World Health Organization confirmed on Aug. 23 that at least one child in Gaza has been paralyzed by the variant type 2 poliovirus, the first such case in the territory in 25 years. 

Under the direction of His Highness, the UAE has also been at the forefront of humanitarian efforts in Gaza, delivering more than 40,000 tons of urgent supplies, including food, medical aid and shelter materials. 

The UAE has established a field hospital in southern Gaza, along with a floating hospital at the Egyptian port of al-Arish, which have collectively provided medical care to over 27,000 injured and wounded Palestinians. A further initiative seeks to provide treatment for more than 1,000 Palestinian children and 1,000 cancer patients in UAE hospitals. 

In its pursuit of ensuring water and food security, the UAE has established six water desalination plants in Rafah, Egypt, with a capacity of 1.6 million gallons per day, supplying water to over 600,000 Gazans. 

Media Inquiries 

Hilary Keno
Hilary.keno@gcihealth.com
+ 1 847 338 0949 

Tala Al Otaibi
Tala.alotaibi@hillandknowlton.com
+971 52 344 8972
*For UAE-based media inquiries 

Originally published ​at WAM