World Health Organization (WHO) – oPt Emergency Situation Update – Issue 39 – (7 Oct 2023 – 05 August 2024)

05 August 2024

• Of the 16 partially functional hospitals, 12 are partially accessible due to insecurity or physical barriers, such as damage to both patient and ambulance entrances, and surrounding roads.
• Evacuation orders continue to disrupt the functionality of health facilities:
  – Ongoing efforts to upscale service provision at Al-Shifa Hospital.
  – Expanded inpatient capacity at Indonesian and Kamal Adwan Hospitals (61 and 166 beds), and 9 ICU beds at Indonesian Hospital have been restored and are functional.
  – European Gaza Hospital (650 inpatient beds) remains out of services, since 1 July. Efforts to restore functionality are threatened by the expanding evacuation area.
  – No functioning hospitals in Rafah for over nine consecutive weeks.
• A total of eight operational field hospitals (FH) in the Gaza Strip:
  – Rafah: the ICRC FH is fully functional, while the UAE FH operates at partial functionality with access restrictions due to ongoing siege and hostilities.
  – Khan Younis: the UK-Med and Jordanian FHs are fully functional, while Al-Quds, Kuwait ‘Heal Palestine’, and PRCS Kuwaiti FHs are partially functional.
  – Deir Al-Balah: the IMC FH is fully functional

Variant type 2 poliovirus isolated from sewage samples in Gaza

• On 16 July 2024, the Global Polio Laboratory Network (GPLN) notified the detection of six circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) isolates in environmental samples from Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis in Gaza. Seven samples were collected and six of these have tested positive for VDPV2.
• Further genomic sequencing of poliovirus isolates has identified that these strains have close genetic links with each other and are also closely related to the poliovirus variant that was circulating in Egypt during the second half of 2023. The last detection of the related variant polioviruses in Egypt was in samples collected in December 2023.
• Between 22-29 July 2024, three suspected cases of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) were reported to the MOH, following efforts to enhance polio surveillance by WHO in Gaza.
• The cases were promptly investigated and samples collected and sent to the laboratory in Jordan with support of WHO. The results are awaited.
• A risk assessment was conducted, led by the Ministry of Health, including to assess surveillance sensitivity for the detection of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), environmental surveillance, and subnational immunity levels.
• MoH in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF, UNRWA and partners is preparing for a polio vaccination campaign