A short film on polio is being screened across labour camps in the UAE to create awareness about the crippling disease among the huge Pakistani expatriate population here.
The three-minute film titled 'Leap Of Faith' projects devastating impact of polio through the touching journey of a Pakistani expatriate in the UAE.
Polio is a very important public health issue in Pakistan, which is one of the last remaining countries where the disease has not been fully eradicated.
Pakistan has recorded 104 polio cases so far this year and the World Health Organisation (WHO) slapped international travel restrictions on Pakistan besides Cameroon and Syria on May 5 over the countries' failure to control the spread of the deadly polio virus.
The UAE Pakistan Assistance Program recently launched a vaccination campaign aimed at reaching over 3.5 million children in Pakistan.
The United Arab Emirates and Pakistan have shared a close relationship for many years and the UAE is committed to supporting polio eradication in Pakistan.
"Working together, we can strive to ensure healthy childhoods for the young people of Pakistan," said Mohamed Al Mubarak, Chairman of Image Nation, which has produced the film.
The short film captures the story of a Pakistani expatriate working as a taxi driver in the UAE and the impact polio has on the life of his children living in Pakistan. The film aims to raise awareness of the disease and its prevention among the Pakistani population in the UAE.
The film is being screened at various forums in order to reach the Pakistani diaspora, with a supporting advertising campaign running between June and September 2014. The film is being showcased during free movie screenings being conducted at labour accommodations across the UAE.
