His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Head of the Development Affairs Office in the Presidential Office, made a video call with a number of health sector specialists working on the front lines of the UAE’s polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan.
During the call on the occasion of World Polio Day, His Highness expressed his thanks and appreciation to all those working in the UAE’s polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan and praised their continued efforts to combat polio.
His Highness stressed that the teams working in the field on the front lines are the key element in the success of such health campaigns, especially in difficult environmental conditions and terrain.
His Highness’s call came to check on the progress of work in the campaign, which His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, is keen to support and sponsor within the “Reaching the Last Mile” initiative, which is a group of global health programs aimed at raising awareness and renewing commitment and hard work. To eliminate infectious diseases around the world.
His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohammed said: “On behalf of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, and with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the State, Deputy Prime Minister, Chief of the Presidential Office, I would like to I express our appreciation and thanks for your efforts and your vital and effective contribution to the eradication of polio, as part of our initiative that comes in partnership with the government of the friendly Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which reflects the vision of His Highness the President of the State in striving tirelessly to ensure that future generations are freed from the threat of polio.”
His Highness added: “We are closer than ever to achieving our goal thanks to your efforts, dedication and determination to ensure that every child, in every community, is immunized against the polio virus. We are confident that thanks to your continued efforts, we can together eliminate polio once and for all.” For their part, the health workers expressed their happiness with this call, which expresses the keenness and diligent follow-up of the leadership of the United Arab Emirates to humanitarian and health efforts with the aim of eliminating diseases that are considered one of the most serious obstacles to development and progress.
They affirmed their continued work to implement the polio eradication campaign in Pakistan, and their determination to move forward in overcoming the challenges in order to ensure the immunization of children in Pakistan against this disease.
For his part, Abdullah Khalifa Al Ghafli, Director of the UAE Project to Assist Pakistan, said: “The UAE’s polio vaccination campaign, with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, is working hand in hand with the government of Pakistan to combat polio and protect children from “This is a preventable disease.”
Al-Ghafli added, “Pakistan today is on the verge of eliminating polio, as polio cases in Pakistan have decreased to a record level. This reflects the great participation, keenness and commitment of our partners in Pakistan, and the efforts of the health teams on the front lines in confronting the disease and their efforts to eradicate it.” on him.”
Polio is a highly contagious viral disease that greatly affects children under the age of five. The virus is transmitted from person to person, invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis, so anyone who is not vaccinated is at risk of contracting the disease.
The UAE plays a leading role in global efforts to eradicate polio, and works actively to provide life-saving vaccines to protect millions of vulnerable and hard-to-reach children throughout Pakistan and other countries.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed has donated more than $376 million to global efforts to eradicate polio through the “Reaching the Last Mile” initiative, including the UAE Polio Vaccination Campaign, which is part of the UAE Program to Assist Pakistan. In 2022, more than 16 million children will be vaccinated in Pakistan. Since its launch in 2014 until September 2023, the campaign has contributed to the distribution of more than 700 million vaccine doses to children in Pakistan.
Specialized health teams of front-line workers form the core of the efforts of the UAE’s polio vaccination campaign, as they move from house to house, often in difficult terrain, to vaccinate children.
The campaign includes more than 103,000 front-line health workers, more than half of whom are women, and they play a pivotal and vital role in gaining the trust of communities, combating misinformation about vaccines and raising awareness of the dangers of polio.
The geographical coverage of the UAE polio vaccination campaign included 85 difficult and high-risk areas in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The campaign also allocated special vaccination teams to provide vaccines and vaccinate more than 597,000 Afghan refugee children in their camps and areas of deployment in various Pakistani provinces and cities.
It is worth noting that in 1988, the number of people infected with polio in the world was estimated at about 350,000 people annually. Decades of progress, thanks to the efforts of thousands of specialists, have led to a 99% reduction in polio cases, with only 30 cases reported in 2022.
The polio virus exists today in only two countries. However, the outbreak of the virus in countries that were previously polio-free is a wake-up call that polio transmission poses a threat to communities everywhere.
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