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Press Release
Major immunization Campaign Launched
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Ramallah/Gaza City, 28 June 2004 –UNICEF launched a major measles immunization
campaign in the West Bank and Gaza Strip today, aimed at providing more than 540,000 children
aged 9 – 59 months with a safe injection of measles vaccine and doses of Vitamin A. The threeweek long campaign is led by the Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Palestinian Authority, UNICEF
and UNRWA - with financial support from the Japanese Government, USAID and a contribution
from the Micronutrient Initiative.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Palestinian Ministry of Health and UNICEF, more
than one-third of Palestinian young children showed no immunity against measles. In some areas,
up to 50% of children are not protected against the disease. Moreover, more than 22% of
children under five suffer from a deficiency of vitamin A and an additional 54% are at risk for
developing it.
"Every child needs this vaccine. Every child deserves to be protected from preventable diseases
like measles. We can't keep them all safe from the conflict, but we should be able to achieve the
goals of this campaign,” says David S. Bassiouni, Special Representative, UNICEF. “An
outstanding effort is being deployed for this purpose and it marks the first time a public health
campaign of this scope is being implemented in the Palestinian Territory.”
Dozens of mobile teams – backed up by four-wheel-drive vehicles and an extensive awareness
campaign - will conduct operations in 15 districts in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Health staff
will provide immunization and vitamin A in existing facilities or in outreach posts. Trained logistic
teams from the MoH, UNICEF and UNRWA will ensure the routing of the vaccine, Vitamin A, and
other equipment to remote villages.
Emerging evidence suggests the ongoing conflict is increasingly diminishing achievements in West
Bank and Gaza. "The incidence of vaccine preventable diseases has been under control until now
and immunization coverage is beyond 90% - among the highest in the region" said Peter Hansen,
UNRWA's Commissioner-General. "But curfews and closures are creating huge access problems
both for Palestinian health professionals trying to get to their centres and Palestinian parents
trying to get their children to clinics. In this environment I fear a measles outbreak could become
a major threat affecting not only Palestinian children, but all children in the area."
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UNICEF, UNWRA, WHO and OCHA called upon the Israeli Authorities to abide by its obligations
under international Humanitarian Law as well by its obligations to the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child – ratified in 1991. The UN bodies call for safe, timely and easy access of health
professionals to their centres, parents to health clinics and all needed and relevant supplies to
allow the smooth functioning of this very important campaign.
Measles is caused by a highly infectious virus, and is a leading cause of child mortality globally.
The threat to life is compounded when children are malnourished, and even more so in densely
populated areas within the Palestinian community.
For further information, please contact:
Michael Bociurkiw, Communication Officer, UNICEF. Tel: 0577-293214; Email:
[email protected]
Sami Mshasha’, Communication Officer, UNRWA, Tel: 050-5317094; Email:
[email protected]
Maria L. Restrepo, Project Officer, WHO. Tel: 057 553 294; Email: [email protected]
World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian affairs (OCHA), Untied Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
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