WHO chief thanks UAE President for major contribution to polio eradication

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account to express his deep gratitude to the United Arab Emirates and President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for the contribution of $5 million to Global Polio Eradication Initiative to vaccinate 640,000 children against polio in Gaza.

"Deep gratitude to the UAE and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed for their contribution of $5 million to Global Polio Eradication Initiative to vaccinate 640,000 children against polio in Gaza,” he said in his X account.

"We are grateful for the RLMglobalhealth's (Reaching The Last Mile) continued commitment towards polio eradication and to beat NTDs (neglected tropical diseases),” he added.

President Sheikh Mohamed earlier on Friday directed funding for the delivery of a critical polio vaccination drive in Gaza following the re-emergence of the virus within the territory. The campaign will be supported by a pledge of $5 million from the UAE.

Delivered in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and UNRWA, the two-round campaign will provide over 640,000 Gazan children under the age of 10 with two doses of the polio vaccine, in an effort to stop the spread of the virus and prevent a wider regional outbreak.

WAM