Under the UAE-Pakistan Assistance Programme, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has provided over 371.1 million units of polio vaccines to more than 57 million Pakistani children from 2014 to December 2018, through its anti-polio drive in the country. According to Emirates News Agency, the UAE-PAP was launched under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The campaign is part of the efforts to eradicate polio in the world and reflects the UAE leadership s keenness to strengthen global efforts to reduce the spread of epidemics and prevent their impact on children.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad bin Zayed donated $167 million (AED613.31 million) for the efforts aimed at eradicating poliomyelitis and the provision of vaccines for children, especially in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Abdullah Khalifa Al Ghafli, Director of UAE-PAP said the campaign administered 254.4 million doses of vaccines between 2014 and 2017 to 43 million Pakistani children. The geographical coverage of the campaign expanded in the past years to include 83 areas in four provinces of Pakistan, he added. Al Ghafli praised the support provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the UAE s campaign and its strategic partnership with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed’s initiative to eradicate poliomyelitis worldwide through funding and providing assistance.
The campaign is being implemented in various regions of Pakistan with the support of more than 96,000 workers including doctors and nurses and more than 25,000 members of safety and security, management and coordination teams.
Published in Daily Times, January 7th 2019
