Saudi Arabia commits $500m to end polio in Pakistan, Afghanistan

Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its $500 million commitment to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), aimed at eradicating wild polio and controlling vaccine-derived polio outbreaks in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday.

The funds, originally pledged in April 2024, will be allocated to support efforts in eliminating the wild strain of the virus, which remains endemic in both countries. Together, Pakistan and Afghanistan reported 99 cases of wild polio in the previous year, according to WHO data.

The GPEI has set new target dates, aiming to end wild polio by 2027 and vaccine-derived polio by 2029—extended from the original 2026 goal for both.

Meanwhile, the United States, historically one of the major donors to the GPEI, has announced its intent to withdraw from the WHO, a move that could impact funding for the global health initiative. Despite this, the US contributed 17 percent of the GPEI budget for 2024-2025, as per WHO figures.