UAE Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Image Nation Abu Dhabi, hosted an event to highlight the successes and most pressing challenges in the global fight to eradicate polio.
Dr. Jay Wenger, Director of the polio program at the Gates Foundation, and Dr. Elias Durry, Senior Emergency Advisory on Polio for the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, discussed the importance of sustaining momentum to achieve eradication including delivering vaccines to children in communities that are difficult for health workers to access. The event also featured clips from Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s acclaimed documentary, Every Last Child, which tells the story of five people impacted by polio in Pakistan.
Geoffrey Lamb, Chief Economic and Policy Advisor at the Gates Foundation, also announced that Abu Dhabi will host the first Heroes of Polio Eradication ceremony to honor those who have worked tirelessly to eradicate the disease.
See here for more details on the event and panel discussion.
In line with the UAE’s ongoing commitment to providing humanitarian assistance for vulnerable children around the world, the country has emerged as a leader in the fight against polio. Learn more about the UAE’s dedicated efforts to eradicate polio.
