In the midst of Israel's relentless war on Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry reported the first case of polio in 25 years, detected in a 10-month-old child from the central Gaza Strip. This alarming development underscores the devastating impact of the Israeli siege on Gaza’s already crippled healthcare system.

In mid-July, reports surfaced of polio in the Gaza Strip’s water, leading to a public health crisis. The Gaza Ministry of Health declared an epidemic, urging immediate action to end the [Israeli] aggression and address the crisis.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is stepping in, sending over a million polio vaccines to Gaza. But will they be allowed in?

We spoke with Palestinian public health expert @yara_m_asi on the global implications of this outbreak. Yara is an Assistant Professor at UCF and Co-Director of the Palestine Program for Health and Human Rights.

Originally published here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-vy0tWJGnQ/