Abu Dhabi: The Heroes of Polio Eradication campaign will be awarded at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi on December 8.
The Hope Awards for the people who took part in the polio eradication campaign will be held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The awards will be given in five categories: Humanitarian, Education, Advocacy, Innovation and Achievement.
By 1992, the UAE had completely eliminated polio within its borders. Complementing this commendable achievement, the country has today become one of the most committed champions of the cause globally, having contributed a total of $120 million (Dh440.75 million) to polio eradication efforts, with a specific focus on protecting Afghan and Pakistani children from the disease.
This support has been critical, as the world is now on the verge of eradicating polio forever. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two remaining polio-endemic countries, and cases have been reduced by 99 per cent worldwide. This year, there have been less than 100 cases reported globally to date.
Building on this commitment to polio eradication, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced in October the first-ever HOPE Awards in partnership with the UAE. The awards further the UAE’s commitment to supporting those who dedicate their lives to humanitarian work. The HOPE Awards are a platform to thank the hundreds of thousands of individuals who have contributed to the incredible progress made towards polio eradication. It is the commitment of these individuals that will ensure a polio-free world within the next few years.
The UAE’s involvement in polio eradication began in 2011 through a partnership with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The two committed a total of $100 million, $50 million each, –to buy and deliver vaccines in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Today, thanks to the UAE’s support, 86.6 million vaccines have been administered to Pakistani children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Balochistan and Sindh tribal areas. The partnership between the UAE and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has also facilitated funding to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as well as the World Health Organisation and Unicef, for delivery of polio vaccines in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The UAE has also helped facilitate additional funding to the eradication effort. In 2013, the UAE hosted the Global Vaccine Summit, co-chaired by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed A, where more than $4 billion was pledged for polio eradication from international donors.
The UAE is now the largest donor in terms of percentage of its gross national income, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
