By Muhammad Rafiq
ABU DHABI: Landmarks across Abu Dhabi illuminated on Thursday, October 24, in support of World Polio Day, an annual moment that aims to galvanize momentum towards global efforts to eradicate the disease.
Buildings and structures across the UAE capital were lit in blue and purple to raise awareness of polio – a preventable and debilitating disease – and to reaffirm the UAE’s commitment to stamping it out globally.
The color purple represents the dye used to mark the finger of a child to indicate they have received their oral polio vaccine.
The landmarks included: Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM); Mubadala Tower; Emirates Palace, Khalifa University; and Al Ain Municipality, among others.
Polio is a highly infectious disease that once affected hundreds of thousands of children worldwide. As recently as three decades ago, polio was present in over 125 countries and paralyzed an estimated 1,000 children per day.
Polio is one of only a few diseases that can be completely eradicated. Aided by routine immunization campaigns, cases of wild poliovirus have decreased by 99.9% since 1988. Today, only two countries remain endemic for wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Under the leadership of the His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the UAE is a global leader in polio eradication, supporting and enabling the delivery of lifesaving polio vaccines for millions of vulnerable and hard-to-reach children.
Since 2011, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has personally committed more than US$381M to support global efforts to combat polio, with funding distributed through Reaching the Last Mile.
Advocacy efforts such as World Polio Day are critical to ensure continued momentum towards the global goal of eradication. The day is a moment to celebrate progress, recognize challenges, and mobilize governments, public health partners, and the general public in the urgent effort to end polio everywhere.
