Few diseases are as insidious as poliomyelitis. Spread through contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids, or contaminated food and water, the polio virus overwhelms the nervous system and can cause paralysis in mere hours. There is no cure. And while any unvaccinated individual can contract the disease, most victims are children under the age of five.
The decades of hard work put into all but banishing the poliovirus, therefore, ought to be a source of pride today on World Polio Day. According to the World Health Organisation, wild poliovirus cases have decreased by more than 99 per cent since 1988. Total eradication, however, continues to slip through our fingers.
The stakes remain high. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralysed, between 5 and 10 per cent die when their breathing muscles become immobilised.
Today, polio is endemic in just two countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan. On October 21, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme said 39 polio cases had been reported this year. Two days later, Unicef said the number of polio cases in Afghanistan had risen sharply nationwide, with 22 confirmed cases recoded as of mid-October. As health campaigners point out, so long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries – particularly those where public health services are weak – remain at risk of contracting polio.
That fact has been painfully borne out in war-torn Gaza. Two months ago, a 10-month-old child there became paralysed in one leg after developing the first case of polio to be reported in Palestine for 25 years. A two-round emergency inoculation drive to protect more than 640,000 Gazan children was organised by the WHO, Unicef and Unrwa with $5 million in support from the UAE. As the war rages, a final round of emergency vaccinations for children trapped in the enclave's war-torn north is suspended.
This was far from the first time that the Emirates has placed itself at the forefront of international efforts to end the scourge of polio. In 1992 – the last year a case was recorded in the UAE – the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan joined former US president Jimmy Carter in the fight to eradicate diseases such as polio in Africa.
The stakes remain high. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis
The UAE Pakistan Vaccination Assistance Programme has administered about 750 million doses of polio vaccine in Pakistan since 2014, protecting 102 million children. President Sheikh Mohamed has personally committed more than $381 million to global efforts to eliminate the disease and support humanitarian organisations that organise polio eradication campaigns and vaccinate children.
It is perhaps no coincidence that a leading philanthropic foundation on preventable disease established by Sheikh Mohamed is called Reaching the Last Mile. It is recognition that eradicating an illness such as polio is not an aspirational goal – it is entirely within reach. But to reach that last mile will require sustained commitment from donors, health campaigners and governments. With the right approach, having a World Polio Day could, eventually, be a thing of the past.
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
%3Cp%3E1984%20-%20Apple%20unveiled%20the%20Macintosh%20on%20January%2024%3Cbr%3E1985%20-%20Steve%20Jobs%20departed%20from%20Apple%20and%20established%20NeXT%3Cbr%3E1986%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20Macintosh%20Plus%2C%20featuring%20enhanced%20memory%3Cbr%3E1987%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20Macintosh%20II%2C%20equipped%20with%20colour%20capabilities%3Cbr%3E1989%20-%20The%20widely%20acclaimed%20Macintosh%20SE%2F30%20made%20its%20debut%3Cbr%3E1994%20-%20Apple%20presented%20the%20Power%20Macintosh%3Cbr%3E1996%20-%20The%20Macintosh%20System%20Software%20OS%20underwent%20a%20rebranding%20as%20Mac%20OS%3Cbr%3E2001%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20Mac%20OS%20X%2C%20marrying%20Unix%20stability%20with%20a%20user-friendly%20interface%3Cbr%3E2006%20-%20Apple%20adopted%20Intel%20processors%20in%20MacBook%20Pro%20laptops%3Cbr%3E2008%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20MacBook%20Air%2C%20a%20lightweight%20laptop%3Cbr%3E2012%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20MacBook%20Pro%20with%20a%20retina%20display%3Cbr%3E2016%20-%20The%20Mac%20operating%20system%20underwent%20rebranding%20as%20macOS%3Cbr%3E2020%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20M1%20chip%20for%20Macs%2C%20combining%20high%20performance%20and%20energy%20efficiency%3Cbr%3E2022%20-%20The%20M2%20chip%20was%20announced%3Cbr%3E2023%20-The%20M3%20line-up%20of%20chip%20was%20announced%20to%20improve%20performance%20and%20add%20new%20capabilities%20for%20Mac.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
