(Dubai) – Over 20.6 million children in Pakistan have been inoculated against polio as part of the Emirates Polio Campaign. The campaign is part of the UAE-Pakistan Assistance Programme. Polio cases in Pakistan have recorded sharp decline of 71 per cent from 82 in the corresponding period last year to 24 cases this year due to the massive and successful campaign by the UAE, said a top official.
The UAE has immunised more than 20.6 million Pakistani children against polio with nearly 87 million vaccines administered as part of the Emirates Polio Campaign till May this year, said Abdullah Khalifa Al Gafli, Director of UAE Pakistan Assistance Programme (UAE-PAP) .
The polio campaign was launched in Pakistan under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on an initiative by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, to eradicate polio in Pakistan.
The campaign comes as a translation of Sheikh Khalifa’s instructions to step up health-care programmes in the affected areas of Pakistan and is part of a Dh440 million pledge by Sheikh Mohamed to support global efforts in eradicating polio by 2018, with a specific contribution towards Afghanistan and Pakistan.
(Courtesy WAM)
