Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its $500 million pledge to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) during the fourth Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum.

The Forum discussed importance of delivering polio vaccines to all children, eradicating the disease forever and improving global health security.

Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief), was joined by Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO); Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF; Dr. Sanya Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Dr. Chris Elias, President of Global Development at the Gates Foundation and Chair of the Polio Oversight Board; and Aziz Memon, head of the Pakistan Polio Program, Rotary International.

An agreement was signed to help the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, and its partners vaccinate 370 million children against polio each year and stop transmission of the virus for good. Funding was initially pledged in April 2024 at the first special meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), hosted in Riyadh.

“The world is on track to eradicate polio once and for all, and Saudi Arabia is proud to be part of this global initiative,” said Dr. Al Rabeeah. “Saudi Arabia’s contribution will go toward the important work of protecting today’s most vulnerable children so that tomorrow’s generations can live free from this preventable disease.”

Polio cases have fallen by more than 99% since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was founded in 1988.

Nowadays, more than 20 million people who would otherwise have been paralyzed walk. But dire humanitarian situations — from parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan to Somalia and Yemen — have allowed the virus to continue to paralyze the world’s most vulnerable children.

In 2024, the virus returned to Gaza in the occupied Palestinian territory after 25 years, paralyzing a child, a stark reminder that as long as polio exists anywhere, children everywhere will remain at risk.

Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said: "We have come a long way in our shared mission to erase polio from history, but the last mile is the hardest."

He added: "Completing the mission requires unwavering determination, and this generous contribution from Saudi Arabia will help us reach children in conflict-affected and other hard-to-reach areas as we work together to achieve our vision of a polio-free world."

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said: “As we saw in Gaza last year, the hard-won gains of the global eradication effort are fragile if vaccination rates are allowed to drop. With the support of committed partners like Saudi Arabia, we can better reach every child with life-saving vaccination and end polio, once and for all.”

Governments and health workers, supported by GPEI, are adapting to deliver polio vaccines and other essential health services in humanitarian crises, while strengthening health systems to support efforts in fragile contexts. Every commitment to fully fund the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Extended Strategy 2022-2029 helps make this critical work possible.

Bill Gates, chairman of the Gates Foundation, said: "Just a few decades ago, polio affected 350,000 children each year. In 2023, that number fell to just 12 children – a testament to the unwavering commitment of countries and partners around the world. The world is on the verge of finally eliminating this deadly disease, but reaching the finish line will require continued global leadership and support,”

He added: "Thanks to this generous contribution from Saudi Arabia, along with the long-standing efforts of many countries, we are one step closer to a world free of polio.”

Mike McGovern, President, International Polio Program, Rotary International, said: “Saudi Arabia’s contribution is a pivotal step in our mission to eradicate polio."

Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO, Gavi: “Strengthening global immunization efforts is critical to protecting children from preventable diseases. By strengthening immunization, we can ensure that children everywhere are protected from a range of diseases, including polio, and move closer to a healthier, more resilient world.”