Saudi Arabia reaffirms $500 million commitment to polio eradication efforts

Saudi Arabia has reiterated its pledge of $500 million to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to help eliminate wild polio and control vaccine-derived polio outbreaks in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday.

Originally pledged in April 2024, these funds will be directed toward efforts to eradicate the wild strain of the virus, which remains endemic in both countries. WHO data shows that Pakistan and Afghanistan collectively reported 99 cases of wild polio last year.

The GPEI has revised its eradication timeline, now aiming to eliminate wild polio by 2027 and vaccine-derived polio by 2029, pushing back its original 2026 target.

Meanwhile, the United States, traditionally a key donor to the GPEI, has announced plans to withdraw from the WHO, a decision that could affect global funding for polio eradication. Despite this, the US contributed 17% of the GPEI’s budget for the 2024-2025 period, according to WHO figures.