WHO Director-General Thanks UAE President for Polio Eradication Support
UAE’s $5 Million Donation Supports Polio Eradication Campaign for 640,000 Children in Gaza
WHO Director-General Thanks UAE President for $5 Million Polio Vaccination Contribution
Geneva [Switzerland], August 31: Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday expressed his deep gratitude to the United Arab Emirates and President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on his official X (formerly Twitter) account. , for a US$5 million contribution to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to vaccinate 6,40,000 children in Gaza.
“Deep thanks to the United Arab Emirates and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed for their USD 5 million contribution to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to vaccinate 640,000 children in Gaza,” he said on his X account.
“We are grateful for RLMglobalhealth’s continued commitment (reaching the last mile) to eradicate polio and defeat NTDs (neglected tropical diseases),” he added.
President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has funded a major polio vaccination drive in Gaza following the resurgence of the virus. The campaign will receive a US$5 million pledge from the United Arab Emirates.
In collaboration with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and UNRWA, the two-round campaign will provide two doses of polio vaccine to 6,40,000 Gazan children under the age of 10, in an effort to stem the spread of the virus and prevent a wider regional outbreak.
On Sunday, September 1, the campaign would commence in central Gaza and move to the southern and northern regions of the Gaza Strip in a phased manner. Every phase lasts three days, giving families and kids access to medical facilities and enabling social workers to interact with kids.
1.26 million doses of polio vaccine have been delivered in preparation for distribution to Gaza, and another 400,000 doses will arrive soon. More than 2,100 health workers, including mobile teams, will support the delivery of both rounds of the campaign.
A minimum of 90 percent vaccine coverage is needed in each round to prevent the spread of polio, given the large population, displacement and severely compromised sanitation, water and sanitation systems within Gaza.
Campaign planning began after polio was detected in Gaza in July 2024. As the World Health Organization. On the 23rd, Gaza confirmed that at least one child had been paralyzed by type 2 poliovirus, the first in the territory in 25 years. .
