RIYADH: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) places great significance on the healthcare sector in less developed nations, recognizing its crucial role in enhancing public health, contributing to the development of healthcare organizations, as well as providing life-saving medical services to millions across the world, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
According to the SPA, as part of its efforts to combat polio in needy nations, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has implemented 15 projects worth a total of $39.114 million, ten of which were conducted in Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, the Central African Republic, Congo, and Guinea at a cost of $11.314 million, through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief).
The SPA reported that in May, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) provided over $600 million to protect 370 million children annually from polio and to lift millions out of poverty across 33 member nations of the Islamic Development Bank, in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Of this, $500 million was allocated over five years to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, contributing to the provision of polio vaccines in the most affected nations, according to the SPA.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has worked to combat polio and measles, and it contributed $57.67 million through UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), in addition to implementing polio and measles eradication projects in several nations with a total value of $15 million, the SPA added. Of this, $11.14 million was spent on projects executed by KSrelief, according to the SPA.
In 2016, KSrelief has provided medical vaccines in response to the needs of Palestinians, delivering 15,000 doses of meningitis vaccines and 15,000 doses of polio vaccines to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the SPA reported.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), through its humanitarian arm KSrelief, participates in the celebration of the World Polio Day, observed annually on October 24, to contribute to international efforts to eradicate polio once and for all, reduce its severe impact on people and communities, and raise awareness of the serious health risks associated with the disease.