|
Over 407 million drops of polio vaccine have been delivered to more than 71 million Pakistani children as part of the Emirates Polio Campaign implemented in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan since 2014 till the end of April 2019, the UAE-Pakistan Assistance Programme (UAEPAP) has announced.
The aid comes in line with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the follow-up of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, to provide and deliver infrastructural and humanitarian development support to the health sector and to strengthen immunisation programmes in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The UAEPAP administration stated that the Emirates Polio Campaign is implemented within the Initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan for Global Polio Eradication, which represents the directives of the wise leadership of the UAE to strengthen the international efforts to reduce the epidemics and prevent negative health consequences suffered by the vulnerable children. It is a testament to the UAE's commitment to humanitarian drives to help the poor and underprivileged and its determination to provide humanitarian development programmes, with particular emphasis on human health, specially the children who need preventive healthcare in different countries of the world.
Since 2011, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has donated US$167 million to support global efforts to eradicate poliomyelitis, focusing particularly on Pakistan and Afghanistan.
His contributions are in co-operation with international organisations concerned with the provision of humanitarian and health services to needy communities and in support of global efforts to eradicate polio and significantly reduce its incidence, especially in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Abdullah Khalifa Alghfeli, Director of UAE-PAP, announced the detailed results of the UAE vaccination campaign over the past years, pointing out that from 2014 till April 2019, the campaign provided 407 million 440 thousand and 930 doses of polio vaccine to more than 71 million Pakistani children under the age of five.
The Director UAEPAP noted that from the Phase-I which was in 2014 and till the Phase-V, which was in 2018, the Emirates Polio Campaign delivered 371 million 175 thousand and 240 doses of polio vaccine. With additional efforts and significant field developments along with cooperation and humanitarian partnerships with international organizations in the year 2019, the Emirates Polio Campaign in its first 4 months of Phase-VI has succeeded in delivering 36 million 265 thousand and 690 doses of polio vaccine. It delivered polio drops to 14 million children monthly. The programme includes the planning of topping up additional campaign rounds with the extended period from June till December 2019.
The director further added that the Emirates Polio Campaign geographically covers 83 districts classified as polio high-risk areas in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. 191 million 408 thousand and 90 polio drops were delivered to children of 25 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province; 37 million 989 thousand and 872 polio drops delivered to the children of 13 districts of Federally Administered Triable Areas; 61 million 10 thousand and 675 drops of polio vaccine delivered to the children of 33 districts of Baluchistan Province; and 117 million 32 thousand and 293 drops of polio vaccine to the children of 12 districts of Sindh Province.
The campaign is being implemented in various regions of Pakistan with the support of more than 97 thousand polio workers, including doctors and nurses, and more than 25,000 members of safety and security, management and co-ordination teams.
There are 2 approaches in delivering the vaccines and reaching out to children; the first is through fix polio teams residing in health centers; the second is through transit polo teams designated to cover villages and areas far from main vaccination and health centers. Moreover, polio transit points established in IDP camps, refugee camps, on roads and on crossing points between areas and main cities.
|
New
Review
Abu Dhabi International Airport - 41°F
