Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan
World Health Organization (WHO) has already warned the government of Pakistan against the immediate eradication of polio in the country. Even international travel is now conditioned with the certification of polio for every Pakistani. The government of Pakistan is making every possible effort to meet the demands of WHO.
On its part, the United Arab Emirates, a brotherly country and strategic ally has already initiated a gigantic vaccination campaign against polio in Pakistan. It is being carried out in implementation of the directives and initiatives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to support the health sector in Pakistan, the U.A.E. Project to Assist Pakistan, U.A.E. PAP, has announced the start of the U.A.E. vaccination campaign against polio, which is targeting 3.6 million children in Pakistan.
Recent initiative of vaccination campaign against polio in Pakistan is the part and parcel of the UAE global drive to eradicate polio in the world under the leadership of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the U.A.E. Armed Forces.
In its first stage in the Bara district of Khyber Agency, where no vaccination campaign has been implemented since 2009, the two day campaign last weekend resulted in positive results in covering 279 villages, giving vaccinations to 42,047 children aging from one day up to five years.
Last week, Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Development and International Cooperation affirmed that the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to launch the U.A.E.’s vaccination campaign against polio to over 3.6 million Pakistani child, strengthened the great humanitarian image of the UAE’s leadership, which spared no efforts to support the needy people.
According to Minister directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa have become a turning point in the preservation of millions of lives globally and specially children.
In her remarks on the occasion of the launch of the vaccination campaign, Sheikha Lubna said,” The UAE, again, is enticing the whole world’s attention through directives of Sheikh Khalifa and a follow-up of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, which was represented in the UAE’s pledge to donate AED 440 million as support to the global effort to eradicate polio by 2018. The donation is considered the second one to deliver life-saving vaccines to children all over the world through cooperation with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“The directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa to launch the campaign in Pakistan comes as a translation to the U.A.E.’s efforts and its good reputation which attracted the appreciation and admiration of the whole world as well as consolidating human partnership between the U.A.E. and all peoples around the world” she further added.
UAE Project to Assist Pakistan (UAEPAP) was initiated in January 2011 upon the directives of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan the President of UAE. It was started with the coordination of Armed Forces of Pakistan. It was initialy started with the worth up to US$100 million for the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by devastating floods and natural calamities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Bajaur and South Waziristan districts of the tribal belt. A nobel cause was behind these projects of socio-economic uplift to provide better life to the local people by creating jobs. The said projects focused education, public health, roads, bridges and supply of water treatment plants and soical networks. It executes development assistance projects that offer sustainability and continuous benefits to beneficiaries in the long run.
Its mission objectives include, but are not limited to, providing assistance to the people of Pakistan by developing poverty elimination programs, upgrading the educational system/environment, upgrading medical services and the community health environment and helping to create job opportunities for Pakistani nationals in order to eliminate unemployment and improve the economic conditions.
Spirit of solidarity UAE PAP adopted an all-out development plan to carry out vital projects to serve the Pakistani people.
Undoubtedly, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates are strategic partners. UAE sponsored different projects and programs like UAEPAP are the prime examples of social development and humanitarian diplomacy in the world. It is the icon of socio-economic development. Right from the beginning, it has been changing the lives of the poor and vulnerable people in the country. It pledges qualitative life by providing,, education, clean drinking water, health and the last but not the least infrastructure facilities. It upholds social nets in the difficult areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Bajaur and South Waziristan districts of the tribal belt.
It potrays the kindness and generosity of the UAE, its leaders, charities, financial instutions and of course people. It upholds the love and affection of the UAE towards Pakistan and its people. It shows signs of hope, inspiration and the last but not the least, life. It displays the true picture of humanity, commitment, sacrifice and perfection. It widens the horizons of mutual cooperation in the diverse fileds of economy, human resource develpoment, education, science & technology and the last but not the least, political cooperation.
UAEPAP is indeed a blessing for the country and especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Bajaur and South Waziristan districts. It effectiveness is unparraeled. Long live the friendship of Pakistan-United Arab Emirates.