United States: World Health Organization officials warn that global efforts to stop polio as an international health menace will face delays because United States funding reductions potentially reaching hundreds of millions of dollars across multiple years need to be reversed.
Major U.S. Funding Cuts Impact Global Efforts
The WHO leads efforts against polio together with entities like UNICEF and the Gates Foundation. WHO’s collaboration with the CDC no longer exists after the United States decided to withdraw from the organization. The annual polio funding from UNICEF ended last week after the State Department reduced USAID’s international grants by 90% to execute President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ policy, as reported by Reuters.
Hamid Jafari, who directs the polio eradication program of the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region, confirmed that the partnership lacks $133 million in U.S. funding, which was scheduled for this year. Two nations active in polio spread locally can be found within this region: Afghanistan alongside Pakistan.
He said that the longer it took to eradicate polio, the more costly it would be. “If the funding shortfall continues, it may potentially delay eradication, it may lead to more children getting paralyzed,” he warned.
Seeking Alternative Funding Sources
He acknowledged that partners were finding solutions to handle funding gaps that will primarily affect personnel strength and surveillance operations yet hoped for continued U.S. financial support in the polio eradication campaign.
“We are looking at other funding sources … to sustain both the priority staff and priority activities,” he said.
The vaccination drives in Afghanistan and Pakistan would continue to receive protection according to him.
Urgent Need for Long-Term Financial Support
No comment from UNICEF was provided in response to interview requests, yet the Gates Foundation spokesperson maintained that foundation contributions cannot achieve what declining US funding has created. Saudi Arabia provided $500 million for polio eradication during the previous week, as reported by Reuters.
The partnership predicted last year that it would need more time and resources to eliminate the disease because it now has a $2.4 billion funding deficit that extends until 2029.