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

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 percent cut in 2026 and has a $1.7 billion funding gap up to 2029, the organization 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 programs like measles campaigns, and use strategies like fractional dosing – where as little as a fifth of a vaccine dose is used to stretch out supplies and cut costs, as studies have shown this still protects children from infection.