Wayne Lumbasi
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning over a massive $1.7 billion funding gap that threatens global efforts to eliminate polio. The shortfall, which affects programs through 2029, could undo decades of progress toward ending one of the world’s most devastating diseases.
According to WHO and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, funding cuts of about 30 % are expected by 2026, forcing the suspension of crucial activities such as vaccination drives and disease surveillance. Officials warned that some of these life saving operations “will simply not happen” if new funds are not secured soon.
Polio has been nearly eliminated worldwide, with only 36 cases reported this year in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the two countries where the virus remains endemic. But health experts warn that even a small setback in funding could allow the virus to resurface in communities with low vaccination coverage, reversing years of progress.
The eradication program had projected success within this decade, but rising costs, reduced donor support and competing global health crises such as the COVID 19 pandemic and regional conflicts have weakened resources.
WHO says the shortfall threatens not only the fight against polio but also the broader health systems built around it, including child immunization and disease detection networks.
To manage with fewer resources, the program plans to focus on high risk areas, combine polio campaigns with other health initiatives, and use smaller vaccine doses to stretch supplies. However, experts stress that innovation alone cannot replace financial support.
For countries like Kenya, which depend on international partnerships to sustain strong immunization programs, the threat is serious. A single global lapse in vaccination could reintroduce the virus across borders.
WHO officials maintain that eradicating polio is still possible, but only if donors act urgently. As one senior official said, “We are closer than ever, but this shortfall could push us back by years.” The world now faces a clear choice: finish the fight against polio, or risk watching a nearly defeated disease return.
PREVOUSLY REPORTED
U.S AID CUTS COULD COST A MILLION CHILDREN’S LIVES, CHARITY GAVI WARNS
WHO CHIEF URGES COUNTRIES TO PERSUADE U.S. TO REVERSE WITHDRAWAL DECISION
MILLIONS OF CHILDREN TO BE VACCINATED FOR POLIO IN AFRICA AFTER MALAWI DETECTS CASE
