The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) — a global partnership that includes the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — will face a major financial setback in 2026, as its budget is cut by 30 percent.
The organization also projects a $1.7 billion funding gap through 2029, according to an announcement made this week.
Officials say the shortfall stems largely from a worldwide reduction in foreign aid, led by the United States, which is also withdrawing from the WHO. As a result, the GPEI plans to scale back its operations in lower-risk areas unless outbreaks occur, while increasing focus on cost efficiencies.
“The significant reductions in funding… mean that certain activities will simply not happen,” said Jamal Ahmed, WHO’s Director of Polio Eradication, during a press conference on Tuesday, as reported by Reuters.
Other major donor nations, including Germany and the United Kingdom, have also cut their contributions, a spokesperson confirmed.
In response, GPEI partners said they would prioritize surveillance and vaccination efforts in regions at highest risk of polio transmission. The initiative also plans to collaborate more closely with other global health programmes, such as measles immunization campaigns.
To manage costs, the GPEI will employ strategies such as fractional dosing—using as little as one-fifth of a vaccine dose—to extend vaccine supplies. Studies show this approach still provides effective protection against infection in children.
Eradicating polio, a paralysis-causing viral disease, has been a cornerstone of global health efforts for decades. Despite major progress since mass vaccination campaigns began in 1988, complete eradication has remained elusive, with the first missed target recorded in 2000.
According to the GPEI, 36 cases of wild polio were reported in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2025 — the only two countries where the virus remains endemic. Essential eradication activities in these regions will continue.
Meanwhile, 149 cases of the vaccine-derived form of the virus have been detected this year in several countries, including Nigeria. Both wild and vaccine-derived cases have declined compared to 2024.
