World Polio Day: UAE’s Lifesaving Efforts in Pakistan, Gaza, and Beyond Praised by WHO and U.S.

On Thursday UAE is marking World Polio Day. UAE is a small Gulf nation but it is stepping towards to help other nations across the borders, even in terms of medicines, aid, relief packages etc. UAE is stepping up its efforts to eliminate the virus by funding vaccination campaigns globally.

“Reaching the Last Mile” initiative was started in year of 2011 by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, where they have contributed over AED 1.3 billion as part of the Polio Vaccination Campaign in UAE Pakistan Assistance Programme.

According to the report by Dubaieye, “From 2014 to September 2023, the campaign administered over 700 million doses of polio vaccines to children in Pakistan.”

The commitment of UAE has not stopped here on 30^th August, President of UAE His Highness Sheikh Mohamed allocated the fund of AED 18.3 million for an emergency polio vaccination campaign in Gaza following the first reported case of the virus in the Strip. The aim of this campaign is to vaccinate more than 640,000 children.

According to the UAE official news agency WAM, Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention also highlighted that UAE has achieved significant milestones in the global eradication of polio. He said, “The UAE is proud of its leading role in eradicating polio. Our humanitarian initiatives have reached millions of children worldwide, helping significantly reduce infection rates.”

WHO and U.S. Praise UAE’s Global Leadership in Polio Vaccination Efforts

The Director General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus  expressed gratitude to UAE for their contribution to fight against disease.

An X post-US mission to UAE also shows  gratitude towards UAE’s efforts to stand against polio.  They highlighted that “UAE has partnered with the Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation to deliver life-saving vaccines to the world’s most vulnerable communities.”

The dedication of UAE to fighting polio shows its commitment to humanitarian values.