Ending polio still possible, health officials say, as funding cut by 30%

By Jennifer Rigby

London: Eradicating polio is still possible despite significant funding cuts to the effort, global health officials said on Tuesday as they outlined how they will cope with the shortfall.

The budget of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a partnership including the World Health Organization and the Gates Foundation, will take a 30% cut in 2026 and has a $1.7 billion funding gap up to 2029, the organisation says.

The shortfall is largely driven by a pullback from foreign aid led by the United States and other wealthy donor governments.

In response, the GPEI partners say they plan to focus more on surveillance and vaccination in areas where there is a high risk of polio transmission.

The GPEI will also collaborate more with other global health programmes