The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had reaffirmed its $500 million pledge to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) at a signing ceremony during the fourth Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum.
The Supervisor General of King Salman Relief and Humanitarian Centre, H.E. Dr. Abdullah al Rabeeah was joined by the Director-General of the World Health Organization(WHO),Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Executive Director of UNICEF;Catherine Russell, the CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Dr. Sania Nishtar, President of Global Development at the Gates Foundation and Chair of the Polio Oversight Board,Dr. Chris Elias, and Pakistan Polio Plus Chair, Aziz Memon,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.
“The Kingdom’s contribution will go toward the important work of protecting the most vulnerable children of today so that the generations of tomorrow can live free from this preventable disease.”he added.
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 99% since the GPEI was founded in 1988.
Over 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 Ghebreyesus
Also speaking, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, said “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 realize our vision of a polio-free world.”
“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.”
Today, governments and health workers, with support from the GPEI, are adapting to deliver polio vaccinations and other essential health services within humanitarian crises, while also 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, but reaching the finish line will require continued global leadership and support,” 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,” he added.
Following the signing, Dr. Abdullah al Rabeeah will join 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.
Also speaking, 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 immunisation efforts is crucial to protecting children from preventable diseases. By enhancing immunisation, we can ensure that children everywhere are safeguarded against a range of illnesses, including polio, and move closer to a healthier, more resilient world.”
About the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a public-private partnership, spearheaded by national governments, WHO, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Since its launch in 1988, this partnership has helped prevent more than 20 million cases of paralysis, prevented more than 1.5 million childhood deaths and reduced the incidence of wild polio virus by 99.9 per cent.
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