The UAE has persistently shown its keenness for continuous support to Pakistani people, which would enable them to achieve development, stability and welfare in various fields, commented a UAE daily.

"The launching of a massive campaign by the UAE to vaccinate more than 10 m children against polio in Pakistan, as part of phase-3 of the Project to Assist Pakistan (UAE PAP), is another major initiative that is set to further strengthen the already-robust relations between the two nations," said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Monday.

The commencement of the programme, under the slogan "Health for All - Better Future," comes as a result of directives from President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for providing humanitarian assistance to the friendly people of Pakistan, and also as part of an initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to eradicate polio from the world.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. According to the World Health Organisation officials, polio (poliomyelitis) mainly affects children under 5 years of age. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralysed, 5 to 10 % die when their breathing muscles become immobilised.

Thankfully, polio cases worldwide have decreased by over 99 percent since 1988, from an estimated 350,000 cases then, to 359 reported cases in 2014. The reduction, no doubt, is the result of the strenuous global effort to eradicate the disease.

As part of the UAE programme in Pakistan, 25 m vaccination doses will be administered, which seeks to support health awareness in that country, reduce the spread of epidemics and prevent the suffering of children in affected areas from poor health.

In 2013, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed donated AED440 m in support of global efforts to eradicate polio by 2018, with a particular focus on Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The programme undoubtedly reaffirms the UAE’s humanitarian principles and its commitment to help the needy and poor nations through building human development programmes and providing preventative healthcare to children.

"There can be no doubt that the UAE’s polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan stands out as a symbol of solidarity," concluded the Sharjah-based daily.

Source:WAM