ABU DHABI, Dr. Yousef Mohammed Al Serkal, Director-General of the Emirates Health Services (EHS), stated that World Polio Day constitutes an important occasion to highlight the pioneering efforts of the UAE to combat the disease at the local and regional levels.
Since 1994, the UAE has been providing support and assistance to countries to eradicate the disease in coordination and partnership with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the Emirates Red Crescent, he added.
Al Serkal noted that the UAE declared in 2007 that it was polio-free, something that would not have been possible without the unstinting support of the leadership and the provision of the necessary capabilities and resources.
He highlighted the EHS’s keenness to enhance its efforts to maintain the leading position of the UAE in the fight against polio. He stressed that the EHS remains committed to implementing the WHO recommendations and raising the strategic indicator of children’s vaccination coverage rate.
It is part of the state’s integrated efforts to enhance the community’s health and improve the quality of their lives.
World Polio Day (October 24) provides an opportunity to highlight global efforts toward a polio-free world and honor the tireless contributions of those on the frontlines in the fight to eradicate polio from every corner of the globe.
Source: Emirates News Agency
