The project of the UAE-Pakistan Assistance Project announced as the results of the UAE polio vaccination campaign carried out in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan between 2014 and the end of April 2019.
The campaign has succeeded in giving 407 million, 440,000 and 930 doses of polio vaccine to more than 71 million Pakistani children.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and follow-up from Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, to provide humanitarian and development assistance, supporting the health sector and strengthening its preventive programs in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The Emirates Project for Assistance to Pakistan said that “the UAE vaccination campaign is being carried out under the initiative of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the eradication of polio in the world and represents a field translation of the directives of the wise leadership to strengthen global efforts to reduce the spread of epidemics and to prevent the negative health consequences of children”.
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Since 2011, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, has contributed the US $ 167.8 million to support global efforts to eradicate polio, with particular emphasis on Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Initiative of his highness sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed for Global Polio Eradication pic.twitter.com/DDx0cx6cnU
— MOIUAE (@moiuae) June 8, 2019
The contributions are part of the UAE’s humanitarian approach in cooperating with international organizations and institutions concerned with providing and providing humanitarian and health services to needy communities and peoples, supporting global efforts to eradicate poliomyelitis and reducing cases of infection.
Abdullah Khalifa Al Ghafli, Project Manager, UAE Assistance to Pakistan, announced the detailed results of the UAE vaccination campaign over the past five years.
He pointed out that since 2014 until the end of April 2019, the campaign has been able to give 407 million, 440,000 and 930 doses of polio vaccine to more than 71 million Pakistani children under the age of five years.
He added that the campaign has been able since the first phase in 2014 until the fifth phase in 2018, giving 371 million and 175 thousand and 240 doses of vaccination against polio.
In 2019, the campaign, in its sixth phase and in the first 4 months, succeeded in giving 36 million, 265,000 and 690 doses of polio vaccine. The campaign provides monthly immunization doses to 14 million children.
The plan for its future program for the year includes the implementation of additional campaigns during the period from June to December.
With regard to the field framework and geographical coverage of the campaign, Al-Ghafli said that the UAE vaccination campaign is working in 83 areas of difficult and high-risk areas in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The geographical coverage of the campaign covered 25 areas in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where children had 191 million and 408 thousand and 90 doses of vaccination, and 13 areas in the territory of the tribal areas where children received 37 million and 989 thousand and 872 doses of vaccination, and 33 areas in Balochistan province where children On 61 million, 10 thousand and 675 vaccination doses, and 12 districts in the province of Sindh, where children received 117 million and 32 thousand and 293 doses of vaccination.
He pointed out that the field efforts to carry out vaccination campaigns in various regions of Pakistan was attended by more than 97 thousand doctors, observers and members of the vaccination teams, and more than 25 thousand members of protection and security teams and management and coordination.
For implementation methods, two options were used to deliver vaccines and vaccinate children, first through fixed immunization teams in health centers, and second through mobile vaccination teams to cover areas and villages where people can not access major vaccination centers.
Mobile vaccination sites have also been opened in IDP camps and on roads and border posts between major areas and cities.
The range and type of support provided by the UAE project management to Pakistan vaccination campaign included all components of the campaign through training, communication, coordination, field effort costs for vaccination teams, security teams and observers, as well as the implementation of the social media outreach plan.
These campaigns were carried out in coordination and joint cooperation with the Pakistan Army Command, UNICEF, WHO, the Pakistani Ministry of Health, the Ministries of Health of the provincial governments and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
All participating parties were keen to enhance the success of the campaign efforts and support the efforts of vaccination teams, insurance, planning and organization of vaccinations for targeted children and follow-up field implementation of the stages of the campaign.
For his part, the Director of the UAE Project for Assistance to Pakistan praised the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the UAE vaccination campaign and its strategic partnership with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Initiative to eradicate poliomyelitis worldwide by contributing half the cost of the campaign and providing assistance in various fields. Relating to field implementation plans.
