The UAE Permanent Mission at the United Nations, UN, in Geneva and the World Health Organisation, WHO, organised an event and exhibition to highlight their campaign to eradicate polio, at the headquarters of the UN in Geneva
GENEVA, (Pakistan Point News - 11th Sep, 2019) The UAE Permanent Mission at the United Nations, UN, in Geneva and the World Health Organisation, WHO, organised an event and exhibition to highlight their campaign to eradicate polio, at the headquarters of the UN in Geneva.
The exhibition will precede an event that will announce the donations to the campaign, which will take place on the sidelines of another event, titled, 'Reaching the Last Mile,' that will be hosted by Abu Dhabi in November 2019 to discuss the Polio Endgame Strategy 2019–2023.
The event, held at the WHO’s headquarters in Geneva, includes the "Everyday Heroes Exhibition" that will feature photos taken by the Pakistani photographer, Mbayyan Ansari, portraying the humanitarian aspect of the polio eradication programme in Pakistan.
The exhibition also features a short documentary and photos of the UAE’s polio eradication campaign in Pakistan.
The campaign has delivered 417 million drops of polio vaccines to children under the age of five and has reached out to 16 million children in Pakistan, with the participation of 106,000 health workers.
Obaid Salem Al Zaabi, UAE Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, highlighted the UAE’s leading role in eradicating polio and innovating the health sector, which is due to the support and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Al Zaabi also praised the efforts of Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, and his team to implement the organisation’s 2019-2023 strategy, which aims to create a world completely free from polio.
Dr. Ghebreyesus praised the role of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in supporting the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Judit Dimant, Rotary's Representative, confirmed that her organisation is planning to take part in the Abu Dhabi Forum, where it will pledge to provide a financial donation.
The UAE’s commitment to eradicating epidemics dates back to the era of the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was among the first contributors to relevant international efforts. In 2011, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed donated US$167 million to support global polio eradication efforts.
