The UAE has resumed its door-to-door polio vaccine campaign in Pakistan as it seeks to eradicate the virus once and for all.
Inoculation drives were halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but officials said the goal of wiping out the disease was within reach.
World Polio Day is marked on October 24, in recognition of the devastation the virus once caused to communities and the efforts of medics to prevent it.
In 2011, my wife Melinda and I began working with Sheikh Mohamed on a big global health project. We wanted to eradicate polio
Polio is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus.
The virus is highly infectious and attacks a person's spinal cord, causing paralysis.
In July, the UAE was the first country to resume its vaccination programme during the coronavirus pandemic.
Authorities in the Emirates said the programme took off with the help of 106,000 frontline workers, including doctors and nurses, and more than 25,000 security officers.
Healthcare workers gave 28 million vaccine doses to more than 16 million children in Pakistan from July to September this year.
Figures published last year by the World Health Organisation showed that polio cases dropped by more than 99 per cent since 1988, from an estimated 350,000 cases to 22 reported cases in 2017.
But the disease has not been eradicated in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Nigeria has been declared free of polio.
But the disease can resurface in some countries if children are not vaccinated, experts said.
Pakistan reported 147 cases in 2019 and 77 in 2020, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Since 2014, the UAE's vaccination project has delivered 483 million doses of polio vaccine and immunised more than 86 million children in Pakistan.
Since 2011, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has pledged more than $250 million to support efforts to eradicate polio.
Last year, Sheikh Mohamed hosted the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in Abu Dhabi that raised more than $2.6 billion.
In 2018, Bill Gates wrote an editorial highlighting the important work done by Sheikh Mohamed.
“In 2011, my wife Melinda and I began working with Sheikh Mohamed on a big global health project. We wanted to eradicate polio and ensure that all children were immunised against it and other diseases,” Mr Gates wrote.
“Seven years later, polio is on the verge of eradication. The world has only witnessed 18 new cases of wild polio in 2018, and that’s in no small part thanks to the generosity of the UAE and its support to get vaccines to children in hard-to-reach parts of Pakistan.”
Frontline health workers, who give polio vaccines to children, abide by Covid-19 safety measures.
They educate families about the polio virus and the importance of being immunised.
“EPC has reached out to millions of children. We know there is still work ahead to ensure every child has a healthy future and we remain committed to eradicating this disease," said Abdullah Khalifa Al Ghafli, director of the UAE Pakistan Assistance Programme.
Authorities in the UAE will run awareness campaigns this week.
Major landmarks in the capital will also light up to support the fight against polio and honour the heroes of the Emirates Polio Campaign.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Manchester United v Liverpool
Premier League, kick off 7.30pm (UAE)
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mercedes V250 Avantgarde specs
Engine: 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder turbo
Gearbox: 7-speed automatic
Power: 211hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.0 l/100 km
Price: Dh235,000
