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World Health Organisation thanks UAE for its anti-polio efforts

Geneva - In the first five months of this year, more than 10.5 million children received repeated doses of polio drops as part of the campaigns supported by the UAE-PAP.

 The World Health Organisation (WHO) has paid tribute to the UAE for its "pivotal role" to eliminate all cases of polio around the world.
In a report published on its official website, the WHO said that in the last week of August, more than 15.5 million children across Pakistan's highest-risk districts received the most vital health interventions to protect them from polio: Two drops of oral polio vaccine, thanks to the UAE's Pakistan Assistance Programme (UAE-PAP).
"The campaign across the high-risk districts, referred to as the Emirates Polio Campaign, was launched under the directives from the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and as part of an initiative of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, to support Pakistan to eradicate the disease," said the international organisation.
In the first five months of this year, more than 10.5 million children received repeated doses of polio drops as part of the campaigns supported by the UAE-PAP.
The financial contributions made through the WHO have helped Pakistan extend incentives to frontline polio workers, in addition to the associated operational costs of the campaigns in identified districts.
Michel Thieren, the WHO's Representative to Pakistan, said the "continuous support" of the UAE PAP has enabled the WHO to strengthen capacity and outreach in the most difficult parts of Pakistan.
"Each time our polio workers vaccinate a child, we are not only keeping that child on her/his feet, but are one step closer to our goal. Much of the recent success in Pakistan is owed to innovative practices and outreach strategies that the programme is turning to in the last mile.
Without the generous and ongoing support of donors like the UAE, the programme would be lacking what it needs to push through to the end.
"We are extremely grateful to the UAE and the director of the UAE PAP, Abdullah Khalifa Al Ghafli, for the multi-year long commitment shown to ending polio in Pakistan. Al Ghafli truly is a polio eradicator." Pakistan is close to entering the final stages of what will be a major milestone in global health: The interruption of polio. After many years, and despite many challenges faced by the polio programme, the highly transmittable yet vaccine-preventable virus is finding that there are very few places left to hide.
In some of the highest-risk districts, where polio has in the past found haven, vaccinators like Shahnaz and Fatima take to the streets during mass immunisation campaigns with one focus: Miss no child. Knocking on the doors of every house in their area, these vaccination teams ask parents and care givers to allow them to vaccinate any children below five years in their home.
During the 2015-2016 season, the programme made steady progress in reducing the immunity gap through a series of well-planned, high-quality immunisation campaigns. In 2016, supported by the UAE PAP, the programme is making extra gains in the 66 high-risk districts across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Federal Administered Tribal Areas and Sindh.
Battle against polio
The UAE has long played a pivotal role in supporting global efforts to eradicate polio
> The UAE has provided more than 116 million units of polio vaccine for Pakistani children aged under five from January 2014 to the end of May 2016 through the Emirates Polio Campaign.
> In 2013, Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed announced a commitment of Dh440 million ($120 million) in support of global efforts to push the world over the finish line for polio eradication, with a focus on Pakistan — one of the last endemic countries.
> In July, the UAE PAP announced a further $8.3 million contribution to the polio programme in Pakistan to continue the Emirates Polio Campaign across the 66 high-risk districts identified for support.