ABU DHABI // Millions of children in Afghanistan and Pakistan will be vaccinated against deadly diseases through a new partnership between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
About a third of the total US$100 million (Dh367m) fund - $50m from each partner - will go to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) to deliver polio vaccines in the two countries, which are among only four in the world where polio is endemic.
The rest will go towards immunisations against pneumonia, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B, which causes meningitis.
A quarter of the children in Afghanistan do not live to see their fifth birthday because of poor healthcare services and low immunisation levels, while Pakistan's slow recovery from last year's devastating floods and clashes between the Pakistani Army and Taliban fighters have made it difficult for health workers to access many of the country's children, which has caused a drastic increase in polio cases.
Five million children in Afghanistan are expected to be immunised against the six deadly diseases under the partnership, while about 35 million children in both countries will receive oral polio vaccines.
"There is no reason why the challenges facing the people of Afghanistan should be compounded by the devastating impact of preventable diseases, and particularly those affecting children," Sheikh Mohammed said in a statement.
The head of Microsoft Bill Gates said the partnership was struck because Sheikh Mohammed shared his belief that all children deserve a healthy start to life.
"I admire Sheikh Mohammed for his and the UAE's commitments to improving the lives of the most vulnerable children," he said.
It is not the first time that the Gates Foundation, which has donated nearly $14 billion to global health, has worked with the UAE. Dubai Cares signed a memorandum of co-operation with the foundation in 2009 for projects aimed at improving the health and education of children in countries chosen by the UN as poverty reduction targets.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minster of Presidential Affairs, met with Mr Gates at the Presidential Palace yesterday to discuss the possibility of establishing other joint charity projects.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have been receiving aid from the UAE amid natural disasters, chronic poverty and underdevelopment. The UAE donated more than Dh1.26bn in aid to Afghanistan in 2009, including grants administered by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. Pakistan, meanwhile, received Dh1.6bn from UAE donors after flooding displaced more than 20 million people.
Schools, medical clinics, mosques, wells, a university and a major hospital have been built in Afghanistan since 2003 through organisations such as the UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA).
In Pakistan, meanwhile, the Government contributed about Dh400m to health projects in 2009 alone, while the RCA gave more than Dh20.5m. The RCA and Unicef launched campaigns last year to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of the country's women and children against diseases including measles and polio.
The UAE was one of the first countries to respond with relief efforts after Pakistan's floods, stocking helicopters with more than 100 tonnes of supplies to some of the worst-hit parts of the country.
The Emirates is also the first non-western nation in the global Top 10 humanitarian aid donors per head of population, according to figures published last month by Global Humanitarian Assistance, a group that monitors the distribution of charitable aid from governments.
Overall foreign aid from the UAE peaked in 2009 at Dh3.15bn. That figure combines humanitarian aid, debt relief and funds to support reconstruction efforts, and represents a ten-fold increase from 2008.
Other countries that have received significant portions of humanitarian aid include Sudan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Morocco, Somalia and Mauritania.
Pentavalent vaccine and the new pneumococcal vaccine will be delivered to Afghanistan through the GAVI Alliance, the largest recipient of funding from the Gates Foundation. The remaining $34m will go towards Unicef's fund for polio vaccines. Although the crippling disease has been reduced by 99 per cent worldwide in the past two decades, it is still prevalent in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nigeria.
econroy@thenational.ae
Projects the UAE has contributed to in Afghanistan through groups such as the Red Crescent Authority (RCA):
• 11 schools educating 300 students per day
• Six medical clinics that have treated 35,000 Afghan patients
• Zayed University, Afghanistan, serving more than 6,400 students per year
• A major hospital with an annual capacity of 7,000 patients
• 38 mosques each providing a prayer service for more than 300 people
• A public library serving more than 400 students and visitors per day
• Accommodation in Zayed City, in Kabul, for 200 displaced families
• 160 wells providing healthy drinking water.
Read Bill Gates's statement here.
Fighter profiles
Gabrieli Pessanha (Brazil)
Reigning Abu Dhabi World Pro champion in the 95kg division, virtually unbeatable in her weight class. Known for her pressure game but also dangerous with her back on the mat.
Nathiely de Jesus, 23, (Brazil)
Two-time World Pro champion renowned for her aggressive game. She is tall and most feared by her opponents for both her triangles and arm-bar attacks.
Thamara Ferreira, 24, (Brazil)
Since her brown belt days, Ferreira has been dominating the 70kg, in both the World Pro and the Grand Slams. With a very aggressive game.
Samantha Cook, 32, (Britain)
One of the biggest talents coming out of Europe in recent times. She is known for a highly technical game and bringing her A game to the table as always.
Kendall Reusing, 22, (USA)
Another young gun ready to explode in the big leagues. The Californian resident is a powerhouse in the -95kg division. Her duels with Pessanha have been highlights in the Grand Slams.
Martina Gramenius, 32, (Sweden)
Already a two-time Grand Slam champion in the current season. Gramenius won golds in the 70kg, in both in Moscow and Tokyo, to earn a spot in the inaugural Queen of Mats.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
