Editor’s Op-ed.
One in 200 polio infections leads to irreversible paralysis, often in the legs. Among those paralyzed, 5–10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized. Polio mainly targets children under 5, though anyone unvaccinated can fall victim.
But here’s the question,
What’s the point of saving a child from polio if we’re going to bomb them later?
In Gaza, vaccination campaigns are seen as a sign of hope. They show that even in the middle of a war zone, we can rally together to protect children from a disease that once crippled entire communities.
It’s almost heartwarming, isn’t it? To see global organizations rush in with polio vaccines, determined to shield these kids from a deadly virus. But then, as the dust settles from the latest airstrike, you have to wonder…… Is this really about saving lives?
Let’s not beat around the bush, we know that the same children who receive these life-saving vaccines live in constant fear of being blown to pieces, of having those same lives snatched away from them. One moment, they’re in a clinic getting protected from a virus and the next? They are huddled in fear as missiles rain down on their homes.
Ironical isn’t it? That we are committed to keeping them safe from polio yet we seem perfectly okay with them living under the rubble in the shadows of war.
Should we pat ourselves on the back for every child vaccinated, knowing full well that the same child might not survive the day, the week? The effort to protect them from polio is noble, no doubt. But what’s the point of it all when these kids have no guarantee of surviving the violence around them?
The global community seems to have mastered this peculiar dance, the salsa of ‘championing health initiatives while conveniently ignoring the bombs falling from the sky. We can celebrate the eradication of polio all we want, but the fact remains, it’s no good if these kids never live to see the day they’re polio-free?
Before Vaccines the children of Gaza need a chance to live without fear of death at every turn. They need a world that doesn’t just swoop in with syringes and slogans, but one that’s willing to fight for their right to grow up in peace.
Are we just treating the symptoms while ignoring the disease? Polio may paralyze, but war kills. As the global community , If we have the means to stop one, why are we so hesitant to stop the other?
Saving these children from polio is not enough. If we can mobilize resources to vaccinate them, we should also be able to mobilize to end the violence that threatens the lives of the Children of Gaza, Ukraine, Congo, Sudan and every other conflict area every single day. Because if we don’t, what exactly are we saving them for?
Reviewed by Brian King
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