The world marks World Polio Day today, observed annually on 24th October. The UAE’s efforts in eradicating polio and its substantial financial support for vaccination campaigns globally have been widely recognised globally.

The UAE has become a cornerstone in international efforts to eradicate the disease, actively providing life-saving vaccines to children, especially in hard-to-reach areas like Pakistan.

Since 2011, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has contributed over AED1.3 billion through the “Reaching the Last Mile” initiative, which includes the UAE Polio Vaccination Campaign as part of the UAE Pakistan Assistance Programme.

From 2014 to September 2023, the campaign administered over 700 million doses of polio vaccines to children in Pakistan.

On 30th August, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed directed the provision of US$5 million in support of an emergency polio vaccination campaign in Gaza following the first reported case of the virus in the Strip. This campaign aims to vaccinate more than 640,000 children, reflecting the UAE’s continued commitment to humanitarian support for Gaza, especially in healthcare for children.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed gratitude for the UAE’s contributions, acknowledging its role in advancing global efforts to eliminate the disease. He emphasised that such contributions bring the world closer to eradicating it entirely.

The UAE’s dedication to combatting polio underscores its humanitarian values, focusing on healthcare access for vulnerable populations and promoting human development initiatives worldwide.

Polio remains a highly contagious viral disease, particularly affecting children under five. It spreads through person-to-person contact and attacks the nervous system, potentially causing paralysis. Global efforts have significantly reduced polio cases by 99% since 1988, from 350,000 cases annually to just a few in isolated regions.