UAE pledges to accelerate regional, global efforts to eradicate polio

The United Arab Emirates has renewed its commitment to accelerating regional and global efforts to eradicate polio, advancing sustainable health security and building resilient health systems centred on proactive prevention and future readiness.

The UAE underscored the importance of effective partnerships with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Member States, as well as translating shared health priorities into tangible outcomes that improve quality of life, expand universal health coverage and enhance communities’ resilience to health challenges.

The remarks came in the UAE’s address to the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo.

Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), delivered the address during the main session dedicated to discussing the Annual Report of the Regional Director 2025/2026.

Al Rand outlined key national health achievements and the UAE’s contributions to regional and global health priorities.

The main session highlighted a series of UAE achievements documented in the Annual Report of the Regional Director, foremost among them the country recording the highest UHC service coverage index in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Other achievements included eliminating industrially produced trans fats from locally manufactured processed foods, embedding patient safety practices across the public and private healthcare sectors, establishing an independent regulatory authority for medicines and medical products, and developing an integrated health surveillance and data-linkage system to improve preparedness and enable faster decision-making.

The UAE’s address also highlighted the National Health Workforce Strategy 2026–2030, which the country has begun implementing to enhance the readiness and sustainability of its health workforce and further develop primary healthcare and emergency response capabilities.

It also reviewed efforts to develop a comprehensive national health insurance system aimed at supporting sustainable health financing, broadening health protection and improving the quality of services delivered to members of the community.

The UAE also highlighted the vital role of the WHO Hub for Global Health Emergencies Logistics in Dubai, which delivered supplies to 74 countries during 2025/2026, alongside UAE support for air cargo flights carrying medical supplies to the Gaza Strip.

The UAE stressed the importance of protecting health facilities and healthcare workers, while ensuring the continuity of essential services in crisis-affected areas to help health systems withstand shocks and recover more effectively.

Alongside the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, the UAE delegation took part in the 15th meeting of the Regional Subcommittee for Polio Eradication and Outbreaks.

The delegation underscored the importance of integrating international partnerships with immunization programs and epidemiological surveillance, highlighting the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity’s US$140 million contribution as part of collective international pledges totaling US$1.9 billion towards polio eradication.

These efforts embody the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to advance prevention and sustain long-term investment in human health. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed’s commitments to polio eradication have reached US$525 million since 2011.

The Mohamed Bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, which operates under the umbrella of “Erth Zayed Philanthropies”, continues to support these efforts, which have seen more than 850 million vaccine doses delivered in Pakistan.

In Afghanistan, the UAE is helping lead the Polio Legacy Challenge alongside regional and international partners. The initiative aims to advance primary healthcare, immunisation and health infrastructure in parallel with efforts to eradicate the disease.

This integrated approach is helping build sustainable health capabilities and better align prevention programs with health development priorities, delivering lasting benefits for communities.

Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, affirmed that the UAE is leveraging international partnerships and expertise to expand access to preventive services, strengthen countries’ ability to protect children and achieve sustainable progress towards eliminating targeted diseases, thereby reinforcing regional and global health security.

He added that the UAE’s efforts to combat communicable diseases are rooted in a national vision that places prevention and investment in human health among its strategic priorities, while linking support for health programs with the development of sustainable health-system capacity.

Al Rand reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to continuing its work with the World Health Organization and international partners to advance primary healthcare, improve surveillance and preparedness, and expand high-impact health and humanitarian initiatives in support of the Sustainable Development Goals and a better quality of life for communities.

WAM