GENEVA — Global funding for polio eradication will drop by about 30% in 2026, health officials announced this week, raising alarms that decades of progress toward ending the disease could be at risk.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a partnership led by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said donor support is expected to decline sharply next year. The cut leaves the program facing a $1.7 billion shortfall through 2029.

Officials say the funding gap will force a major shift in strategy. The GPEI plans to focus its remaining resources on the last two countries where wild poliovirus is still spreading — Pakistan and Afghanistan — while scaling back work in lower-risk areas unless new outbreaks occur.

“This is a significant challenge,” said Dr. Jamal Ahmed, WHO’s director for polio eradication. “Eradication remains possible, but reduced funding means certain activities simply will not happen. We must ensure no child is left behind.”

The GPEI’s 2026 Action Plan, published Tuesday, describes the new approach as a “smarter, leaner blueprint” that will prioritize high-risk populations and improve efficiency. Cost-saving steps include fractional dosing of the inactivated polio vaccine and combining polio immunization campaigns with those for measles and other childhood diseases.

Polio, a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis and death, has been reduced by more than 99% since the late 1980s thanks to mass vaccination efforts. The GPEI originally aimed to stop wild poliovirus transmission by 2026 and eliminate vaccine-derived cases by 2029. Those targets may now be in jeopardy.

“Every dollar cut from the budget has a direct impact on our ability to vaccinate children,” said Amina Yusuf, a UNICEF immunization coordinator. “When we lose funding, we lose ground.”

Health experts warn that the funding crisis comes at a critical time. Surveillance systems that detect new outbreaks are already under strain, and lapses in monitoring could allow the virus to spread unnoticed. Previous funding gaps have led to resurgences in regions once declared polio-free.

According to WHO, continued financial support is vital to maintain global vaccination and emergency response networks that protect 370 million children each year. Without that infrastructure, experts fear the world could see a rebound in cases similar to the setbacks seen with measles after funding declines in the 2010s.

The funding drop reflects wider pressures on global health aid. Several donor governments, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, have reduced contributions due to competing economic priorities and budget constraints. Philanthropic foundations are also tightening grants as global crises stretch resources thin.

Germany, once a leading contributor, has reportedly lowered its pledge by nearly 40%, while other nations have shifted their focus toward emerging health threats like antimicrobial resistance and pandemic preparedness.

The impact will be felt most in countries with fragile health systems. In Nigeria, which was declared free of wild poliovirus in 2020, experts fear reduced funding could hinder surveillance and vaccination campaigns needed to prevent a comeback. Pakistan and Afghanistan, where insecurity and misinformation remain obstacles, could face even greater setbacks.

Despite the challenges, WHO officials insist eradication remains achievable if global support continues. “We are closer than ever to ending polio, but we cannot stop now,” Dr. Ahmed said. “If we retreat, the virus will return — and the cost of recovery will be far greater.”

The GPEI is urging donors and governments to renew commitments at an upcoming funding conference in early 2026. Officials hope that renewed political will and targeted spending can keep the world on track to achieve a polio-free future.

For now, the program faces hard choices about where to cut, where to focus, and how to sustain one of the world’s longest-running public health campaigns.

As Dr. Ahmed warned, “History will judge us not by how close we came, but by whether we finished the job.”

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