Gaza: The World Health Organization (WHO) has successfully vaccinated more than 10,000 children in the Gaza Strip within just eight days, marking a critical milestone in a major immunisation campaign launched on November 9.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed that more than 10,000 children under the age of three received vaccines against multiple serious diseases during the first phase of the campaign, which runs until next Saturday.

The large-scale effort is being carried out in partnership with UNICEF, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip. Together, the agencies are working to ensure the safe delivery of essential vaccines despite difficult operating conditions.

Dr. Tedros highlighted that the campaign aims to immunise over 40,000 children against a wide range of diseases, including measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, polio, rotavirus, and pneumonia.

He emphasised that the priority is to shield vulnerable children from preventable illnesses, especially at a time when access to healthcare services in the Gaza Strip remains severely limited. The WHO urged continued support from the international community to ensure the completion of the vaccination campaign and to strengthen long-term health protection for children in the region.