A Palestinian toddler suffering from a skin disease in Deir Al Balah. The spread of skin diseases has become rampant due to overcrowding. AP
A Palestinian toddler suffering from a skin disease in Deir Al Balah. The spread of skin diseases has become rampant due to overcrowding. AP
A Palestinian toddler suffering from a skin disease in Deir Al Balah. The spread of skin diseases has become rampant due to overcrowding. AP
A Palestinian toddler suffering from a skin disease in Deir Al Balah. The spread of skin diseases has become rampant due to overcrowding. AP

Gaza declares polio epidemic 25 years after disease was eradicated in enclave


Nada AlTaher
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

A polio epidemic has broken out in the Gaza Strip 25 years after Palestine was declared free from the highly infectious disease.

Inoculation campaigns in the enclave came to halt after the start of the war with Israel, which has destroyed sewage infrastructure and disrupted waste-collection services.

Thousands of tonnes of rubbish have accumulated since then, creating conditions suitable for the spread of diseases.

Compounding the crisis has been the displacement of the majority of Gaza's population, a situation that has deprived them of clean water and sanitation services, Gaza's Health Ministry said as it declared the endemic.

“This poses a health threat to the residents of the Gaza Strip and neighbouring countries, and a setback to the global polio eradication programme,” the ministry said.

Dr Medhat Abbas, director general of Al Shifa Medical Complex, told The National that the streets were full of sewage.

“Personal hygiene is absent. You can't wash your hands, even after you've used the bathroom,” he said. “So, there's pollution and this disease is spread through faeces.”

Before the detection of the poliovirus, foreign medics had to burn their clothes before returning to their countries after hepatitis A and other communicable diseases were detected, another doctor told The National.

A displaced child with skin disease shows his scars in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza. AP
A displaced child with skin disease shows his scars in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza. AP

The poliovirus affects nerves in the spinal cord and slowly causes paralysis.

“People can suffer from fever and fatigue for up to 10 years,” Dr Abbas said. “The impact of it is disastrous – for neighbouring countries and even for the Israelis themselves.”

The spread of skin diseases has become rampant as hospitals and clinics are overcrowded, he added.

The World Health Organisation said on Friday that it would send more than a million vaccines to Gaza to protect children.

Despite setting up a committee alongside the WHO and the UN children's fund, Dr Abbas said the Health Ministry would not be able to combat the spread of polio as long as borders remained closed.

Gaza obtains its water through three pipelines run by Israel's national water company.

However, since the start of war on October 7, only one of them is operational and pumping at less than half of its capacity, according to the UN office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

A little about CVRL

Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.

One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases. 

The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery. 

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

 

 

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Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Sam Smith

Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi

When: Saturday November 24

Rating: 4/5

Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

GP3 qualifying, 10:15am

Formula 2, practice 11:30am

Formula 1, first practice, 1pm

GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm

Formula 1 second practice, 5pm

Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20and%203.6-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20235hp%20and%20310hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E258Nm%20and%20271Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh185%2C100%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

What is a black hole?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

RESULTS
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KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

SPEC%20SHEET
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Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Company profile

Name: Dukkantek 

Started: January 2021 

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani 

Based: UAE 

Number of employees: 140 

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service) 

Investment: $5.2 million 

Funding stage: Seed round 

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office  

MATCH STATS

Wolves 0

Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)

Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)

Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Updated: July 30, 2024, 1:18 PM