ABU DHABI // More than 3.6 million children in Pakistan will be vaccinated against polio in a three-month UAE campaign.
The initiative is being launched by the UAE Pakistan Assistance Programme, and will run from next month until October. The vaccinations will be carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and tribal areas in Pakistan.
“The launch of the UAE vaccination campaign came as per the directives of His Highness the Head of State [Sheikh Khalifa] to provide humanitarian and development assistance to the friendly people of Pakistan,” said Abdullah Khalifa Al Ghafli, director of the programme.
“It also comes as part of the initiative of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, to eradicate polio.”
The state news agency Wam reported Sheikh Mohammed had already donated Dh440 million for the drive to eradicate polio by 2018.
That sum was the leader’s second contribution to the fund. In 2011 Sheikh Mohammed said he was helping the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to deliver polio vaccines worth US$100 million.
Last year it was announced the implementation of a 2013 to 2018 plan to eradicate the disease would cost the international community US$5.5 billion (Dh20.2 bn).
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