Heroes of polio eradication to be honoured in Abu Dhabi

Dubai - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Heroes of Polio Eradication Awards will be presented on December 6.

The UAE eliminated polio within its own borders by 1992. The country has come a long way since then, becoming one of the most committed champions of the cause globally. The country has contributed a total of $120 million to global polio eradication efforts, focusing on protecting Afghan and Pakistani children from the disease.
This support has been critical, as the world is now on the verge of ending polio forever. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two remaining polio endemic countries, and cases have reduced by 99 per cent worldwide. This year, there have been less than 100 cases reported globally to date.
Building on this commitment to polio eradication, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced the first-ever Heroes of Polio Eradication (Hope) Awards in partnership with the UAE in October. These awards will be presented in Abu Dhabi on December 6.
The awards are being held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. It will celebrate individuals who have made extraordinary achievements in their tireless efforts to end polio in every corner of the world. Awards will be given in five categories: Humanitarian, Education, Advocacy, Innovation and Achievement.
The awards further Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed's commitment to supporting those who dedicate their lives to humanitarian work. The Hope Awards are a platform to thank the hundreds of thousands of individuals who have contributed to the incredible progress made towards polio eradication. It is the commitment of these individuals that will ensure a polio-free world within in the next few years.
The UAE's involvement in polio eradication began in 2011 with a partnership between Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The two committed a total of $100 million - $50 million each - to purchase and deliver vaccines in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
For the UAE, which has a long legacy of humanitarian efforts worldwide, stepping in to fight polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan has been a unique opportunity to lead change in the region, particularly as a fellow Muslim country.
Today, thanks to the UAE's support, 86.6 million vaccines have been administered to Pakistani children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Balochistan and Sindh tribal areas. The partnership between the UAE and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has also facilitated funding to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as well as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Unicef, for delivery of polio vaccines in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In 2014, the UAE rolled out its own National Polio Immunisation campaign, targeting nearly 416,000 children below the age of five with an additional dose of the polio vaccine. The initiative reiterated the importance of remaining vigilant in protecting all children from polio, including those living in polio-free areas.
The UAE has also helped facilitate additional funding to the eradication effort. In 2013, the UAE hosted the Global Vaccine Summit, co-chaired by Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed, where more than $4 billion was pledged to polio eradication from international donors.
Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed made a second allocation to polio eradication of $120 million, complementing the first pledge made in 2011. The UAE is now the largest donor in terms of percentage of its gross national income, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi