Barran Press
Two UN agencies have issued a stark warning that Yemen continues to face an outbreak of mutated poliovirus, with 273 reported cases over the past three years. This alarming situation persists amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis and declining vaccination rates.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF reported that polio remains a significant threat to many children in Yemen, potentially leading to permanent paralysis or death, despite being preventable through vaccination. The agencies emphasized that this warning comes at a time when Yemeni children are also grappling with outbreaks of other diseases, including cholera, diphtheria, and malnutrition.
According to the two organizations, Yemen was free of polio until 2020. However, national vaccination rates against polio plummeted from 58% in 2022 to 46% in 2023, primarily due to the fragility of the healthcare system and the ongoing social, political, and security crises.
Arturo Pesigan, WHO representative and head of the mission in Yemen, noted that the outbreak of the type 2 mutated poliovirus continues amidst a rise in other health emergencies, further straining an already overburdened health system. He emphasized that enhancing response mechanisms and surveillance can significantly curb the spread of the mutated poliovirus in Yemen by addressing vaccination gaps.
The WHO and UNICEF are collaborating with the Ministry of Health and other partners to reach underserved children and communities. However, the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization, has launched campaigns opposing vaccinations, supported by their unrecognized government, which has labeled these vaccines as an "American-Israeli conspiracy" targeting the Yemeni people.
In government-controlled areas, vaccination campaigns against polio have been conducted successfully, reaching 1.2 million children in the first round in February 2024 and over 1.3 million in the second round in July 2024, achieving coverage rates of 100% and 102%, respectively.
Additionally, the Yemeni Ministry of Health, along with WHO, UNICEF, the Global Vaccine Alliance, and other partners, is uniting efforts to implement a "Broad Catch-Up Initiative" aimed at revitalizing and accelerating routine immunization services for children who have missed vital vaccinations.