The UAE says its domestic success in stopping polio has underpinned wider efforts, including 850 million vaccine doses delivered to children in Pakistan and support for campaigns across Africa.
The UAE has used the fight against polio to present a broader model of public health and humanitarian action, with Health and Prevention Minister Ahmed Al Sayegh saying the country has combined domestic eradication with support for global elimination efforts. Speaking on World Polio Day, observed on 24 October each year, he said the national approach is rooted in a vision that places human health at the centre of policy. He added that this work reflects the direction of the country’s leadership and the role of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in backing international efforts to protect children from the disease.
Al Sayegh said Sheikh Mohamed’s international contributions have reached $525 million since 2011, describing that support as part of a wider commitment to give children a healthier future in a world free of polio. He also said the UAE’s polio vaccination campaign has delivered more than 850 million doses to children in Pakistan since 2014, underscoring the emphasis on reaching children in remote and vulnerable communities.
The minister pointed to a fundraising event held in Abu Dhabi in December 2025 by the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, in partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. According to the announcement, the gathering secured international pledges of nearly $1.9 billion, a figure officials said highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation and sustained financing if eradication is to be achieved.
He also praised the contribution of Dubai Humanitarian, part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, saying it has played a central logistical role in supporting World Health Organisation operations, including the supply of essential laboratory materials used to detect poliovirus. Al Sayegh said eHealth Africa, which is based at Dubai Humanitarian, has helped establish and expand more than 50 emergency response rooms in 26 African countries and has used geolocation tools to support vaccination drives that reached more than 14.6 million children in six Nigerian states. He said the UAE has not recorded a case of polio since 1992, crediting that record to strong health policy, vaccination programmes and epidemiological monitoring, and described the achievement as a foundation for long-term health security.
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