KSA confirms $500m pledge to eradicate polio from Pakistan, Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on Monday reaffirmed its US$500 million pledge to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in a signing event during the fourth Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum.

Critical funds will be immediately disbursed to the GPEI to help end wild poliovirus in Pakistan and Afghanistan and stop outbreaks of variant polio. Dr Abdullah al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of King Salman Relief and Humanitarian Centre, was joined by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation; Catherine Russell, Executive Director of Unicef; Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Dr Chris Elias, President of Global Development at the Gates Foundation and Chair of the Polio Oversight Board; and Aziz Memon, Pakistan Polio Plus Chair, Rotary International, to sign an agreement that will help the GPEI and its partners to reach 370 million children with polio vaccines each year and stop transmission of the virus for good.

The funds were initially pledged in April 2024 at the first-ever World Economic Forum Special Meeting hosted in Riyadh. “The world is on the path to eradicating polio once and for all, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is proud to be part of this global initiative,” said Dr Abdullah al Rabeeah. As a result of decades of leadership from GPEI partners, generous support from donors and the commitment of affected countries, polio cases have fallen by over 99pc since the GPEI was founded in 1988. More than 20 million people are walking today who would otherwise have been paralysed by the virus. But fraught humanitarian crises – from parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan to Somalia and Yemen – have allowed the virus to continue paralysing the world’s most vulnerable children. In 2024, the virus returned to Gaza in the occupied Palestinian territory after 25 years to paralyse a child, a cruel reminder that as long as polio exists anywhere, children everywhere will remain at risk.

“We have come so far in our shared mission to consign polio to history, but the last mile is the hardest,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Finishing the job requires unwavering determination, and this generous contribution from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will help us to reach children in conflict-affected and other difficult-to-reach areas as we work together to realise our vision of a polio-free world,” he added. “As we saw in Gaza last year, the hard-won gains of the global eradication effort are fragile if vaccination rates are allowed to drop. With the support of committed partners like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we can better reach every child with life-saving vaccination and end polio, once and for all,” said Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russell. Today, governments and health workers, with support from the GPEI, are adapting to deliver polio vaccinations and other essential health services within humanitarian crises, as well as strengthening health systems to bolster efforts in fragile contexts. Every commitment toward fully funding the GPEI’s extended 2022-2029 Strategy helps make this critical work possible. “Just a few decades ago, polio paralysed 350,000 children each year. In 2023, that number dropped to just 12 – a testament to the unwavering commitment of countries and partners worldwide. The world is at the brink of finally eradicating this deadly disease,” said Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation. “Thanks to this generous contribution from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, alongside long-standing efforts of many nations, we are one step closer to a polio-free world.” Following the signing of the agreement, Dr Abdullah al Rabeeah will join the GPEI and other global leaders and health advocates for a panel discussion on the importance of reaching all children with polio vaccines, eradicating the disease for good and improving global health security.

Mike McGovern, International PolioPlus Chair, Rotary International, said: “Saudi Arabia’s $500 million contribution is a pivotal step in our mission to eradicate polio. This funding will enable Rotarians and health workers to intensify their efforts in reaching every child, ensuring that no one is left vulnerable to this preventable disease.” Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO, Gavi, said strengthening global immunization efforts was crucial to protecting children from preventable diseases. “By enhancing immunization, we can ensure that children everywhere are safeguarded against a range of illnesses, including polio, and move closer to a healthier, more resilient world.”