Saudi Arabia confirms $500 million commitment to polio eradication effort, says WHO

Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its $500 million pledge to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), the World Health Organization said on Monday.

The funds, initially pledged in April 2024, will be disbursed to help end the wild form of polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan and stop outbreaks of variant polio.

Wild polio — a naturally occurring form of the viral disease — is endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which together reported 99 cases last year, according to the WHO. Variant polio is caused by the weakening of the oral polio vaccine.

The GPEI hopes to declare an end to the wild virus and the vaccine-derived variant by 2027 and 2029, respectively, compared with a previous deadline of 2026 for both forms.

The US, which has announced its intention to withdraw from the WHO, was previously a major donor to a program to eliminate polio and contributed 17 per cent of its budget during 2024-2025, the WHO data showed.