The global effort to eradicate polio faces significant delays unless the U.S. reverses its decision to cut funding, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official has warned. The potential loss amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars over several years, putting millions of children at risk.
Impact of U.S. Withdrawal from WHO
As reported by reuters, the WHO collaborates with UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, and other global partners to eliminate polio. However, the United States’ decision to withdraw from the WHO has disrupted these efforts. The move has also severed cooperation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Last week, the U.S. State Department terminated 90% of USAID’s grants worldwide, aligning with former President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ policy. As a result, UNICEF lost a critical polio grant, further straining resources.
Funding Shortfall and Its Consequences
Hamid Jafari, director of WHO’s polio eradication program for the Eastern Mediterranean region, revealed that the partnership is already missing $133 million in expected U.S. contributions this year. This region includes Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only two countries where wild polio is still spreading.
“If the funding gap continues, eradication will likely be delayed, leading to more children being paralyzed,” Jafari explained. He also warned that prolonging the fight against polio would significantly increase overall costs.
Efforts to Mitigate the Crisis
Despite the funding cuts, WHO and its partners are exploring alternative sources to sustain priority staff and critical surveillance activities. Jafari emphasized that vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan would continue despite financial challenges.
“We are actively seeking other funding sources to ensure essential operations continue,” he added.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia recently contributed $500 million to the polio eradication campaign. However, a spokesperson for the Gates Foundation acknowledged that no single organization could compensate for the massive funding gap left by the U.S.
A Longer and Costlier Battle
Even before these funding cuts, the global polio eradication initiative already faced a $2.4 billion shortfall through 2029. Last year, health officials accepted that eliminating polio would take longer and cost more than initially planned. Now, without urgent financial support, the goal of a polio-free world remains in jeopardy.