Etihad Airways will launch a campaign to raise awareness of the potential risk of the polio virus in Pakistan through a short inflight video to be shown on its all flights to the country.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline said the inflight programme, "Leap of Faith", will raise awareness of this crippling and potentially fatal disease among thousands of Pakistani workers returning home or visiting their families.
Pakistan is one of the few countries where the disease remains endemic.
The vaccination campaign, which aims to reach over 3.5 million children in Pakistan, was launched by the United Arab Emirates Pakistan Assistance Programme.
"By showing this engaging story on board our flights, Etihad Airways is supporting the efforts of the UAE in helping to eradicate polio in Pakistan," said James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways.
Asif Durrani, Pakistan Ambassador to the UAE, said, "With approximately 1.25 million expatriate Pakistanis in the UAE, this is a perfect opportunity to educate our people during their journey home and ultimately help in the overall eradication of this terrible disease in our country."
The inflight programme produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media, will be aired on all Etihad Airways' flights to Pakistan in July and August.
The airline currently operates 37 flights per week between Abu Dhabi and the Pakistani cities of Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Karachi.
