News|HealthWHO warns $1.7bn funding shortfall threatens polio eradication effortsThe significant funding reductions mean certain activities will simply not happen, says WHO’s polio eradication director.

Funding Challenges and Strategic Adjustments in Polio Eradication Efforts

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), which includes the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Gates Foundation, is anticipating a 30% budget reduction in 2026, alongside a $1.7 billion funding gap through 2029. This financial shortfall poses a significant threat to the ongoing efforts to eradicate polio.

According to Jamal Ahmed, the WHO's director of polio eradication, the reduction in funding will lead to certain activities being curtailed. The financial gap is primarily due to decreased foreign aid, notably from the United States, which has reduced its contributions to the WHO. Other major donors, such as Germany and the United Kingdom, have also reduced their funding.

Despite these challenges, Ahmed emphasized that eradication remains achievable, urging continued commitment to ensure no child is left unvaccinated.

In response to the funding constraints, the GPEI plans to focus its resources on surveillance and vaccination efforts in high-risk areas. The initiative will also integrate its efforts with other health campaigns, including those targeting measles, and will employ strategies like fractional dosing, which uses a fraction of the standard vaccine dose to extend available supplies while maintaining protection against infection.

The GPEI will reduce operations in lower-risk regions, maintaining readiness to respond to any outbreaks. The initiative's long-term goal remains the global eradication of polio, a target that has been pursued since 1988. Although the initial target to eliminate polio by 2000 was missed, significant progress has been made, with the disease now endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

As of 2025, there have been 36 reported cases of wild polio in Afghanistan and Pakistan. These regions will continue to be a focus of essential interventions under the GPEI's plan. Additionally, 149 cases of vaccine-derived polio have been reported in countries such as Nigeria. This form of polio occurs when the weakened virus used in vaccines spreads among unvaccinated populations.

Despite these challenges, global health officials continue to stress the importance of vaccination and surveillance to ultimately eradicate polio. Both wild and vaccine-derived polio cases have shown a decline since 2024.

Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.