WHO Warns $1.7 Billion Funding Shortfall Threatens Global Polio Eradication

WHO Warns $1.7 Billion Funding Shortfall Threatens Global Polio Eradication
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that a funding shortfall of $1.7 billion poses a major threat to global efforts to eradicate polio, potentially reversing decades of progress in eliminating the disease, Al Jazeera reported.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) — a coalition led by WHO, UNICEF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — is facing a 30 percent budget cut for 2026, with the gap extending through 2029. WHO’s Director of Polio Eradication, Jamal Ahmed, warned that “certain activities will simply not happen” without immediate donor support.

The shortfall comes amid declining foreign aid from key contributors such as the United States, Germany, and the UK, prompting GPEI to scale back operations and focus on high-risk regions. The program will prioritize surveillance, targeted vaccination, and the use of fractional doses — just one-fifth of a standard vaccine — to stretch limited supplies.

Despite significant progress, polio remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with 36 wild poliovirus cases reported this year, alongside 149 cases of vaccine-derived strains elsewhere. WHO warned that without urgent funding, the goal of global eradication could again slip out of reach.