Few diseases are as insidious as poliomyelitis. Spread through contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids, or contaminated food and water, the polio virus overwhelms the nervous system and can cause paralysis in mere hours. There is no cure. And while any unvaccinated individual can contract the disease, most victims are children under the age of five.
The decades of hard work put into all but banishing the poliovirus, therefore, ought to be a source of pride today on World Polio Day. According to the World Health Organisation, wild poliovirus cases have decreased by more than 99 per cent since 1988. Total eradication, however, continues to slip through our fingers.
The stakes remain high. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralysed, between 5 and 10 per cent die when their breathing muscles become immobilised.
Today, polio is endemic in just two countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan. On October 21, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme said 39 polio cases had been reported this year. Two days later, Unicef said the number of polio cases in Afghanistan had risen sharply nationwide, with 22 confirmed cases recoded as of mid-October. As health campaigners point out, so long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries – particularly those where public health services are weak – remain at risk of contracting polio.
That fact has been painfully borne out in war-torn Gaza. Two months ago, a 10-month-old child there became paralysed in one leg after developing the first case of polio to be reported in Palestine for 25 years. A two-round emergency inoculation drive to protect more than 640,000 Gazan children was organised by the WHO, Unicef and Unrwa with $5 million in support from the UAE. As the war rages, a final round of emergency vaccinations for children trapped in the enclave's war-torn north is suspended.
This was far from the first time that the Emirates has placed itself at the forefront of international efforts to end the scourge of polio. In 1992 – the last year a case was recorded in the UAE – the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan joined former US president Jimmy Carter in the fight to eradicate diseases such as polio in Africa.
The stakes remain high. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis
The UAE Pakistan Vaccination Assistance Programme has administered about 750 million doses of polio vaccine in Pakistan since 2014, protecting 102 million children. President Sheikh Mohamed has personally committed more than $381 million to global efforts to eliminate the disease and support humanitarian organisations that organise polio eradication campaigns and vaccinate children.
It is perhaps no coincidence that a leading philanthropic foundation on preventable disease established by Sheikh Mohamed is called Reaching the Last Mile. It is recognition that eradicating an illness such as polio is not an aspirational goal – it is entirely within reach. But to reach that last mile will require sustained commitment from donors, health campaigners and governments. With the right approach, having a World Polio Day could, eventually, be a thing of the past.
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
German plea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German parliament that. Russia had erected a new wall across Europe.
"It's not a Berlin Wall -- it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb" dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.
Mr Zelenskyy was applauded by MPs in the Bundestag as he addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly.
"Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall," he said, evoking US President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
