Polio eradication: Global leaders have pledged $1.9 billion to strengthen the push to eradicate polio, aiming to protect about 370 million children each year, as the global programme braces for major funding pressure.
The funding boost comes as the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) faces a tightening financial outlook. Its budget is expected to be cut by around 30% in 2026, and the initiative has a projected $1.7 billion funding gap through 2029.
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The shortfall has been linked to a broader pullback in foreign aid by several major donor countries. The uncertainty around future contributions has forced partners to reassess priorities and focus resources more sharply on surveillance and vaccination in areas at highest risk of transmission.
The pledging event, held in Abu Dhabi during a major finance and philanthropy gathering, is expected to significantly narrow the remaining funding gap for the initiative’s 2022–2029 strategy to about $440 million.
Major contributions included $1.2 billion from the Gates Foundation and $450 million from Rotary International, alongside support from other governments and partners.
Health leaders said the new commitments would help reach children in the last endemic regions and strengthen efforts to stop outbreaks of variant polio worldwide, keeping the long-running eradication campaign on track despite the challenging funding environment.
