A $1.2 Billion Commitment by the Gates Foundation Will Help Eradicate Polio Globally

In Karachi, Pakistan, in September 2020, polio vaccine Samina immunizes 3-year-old Samreen. Archive from the Gates Foundation Image by Khaula Jamil. On Sunday, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation disclosed a $1.2 billion investment to support an international campaign to end polio. There have recently been outbreaks of the disease in New York, the United Kingdom, and other places. It is endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan. At the Berlin World Health Summit, the foundation made the commitment. The money will help the Polio Eradication Strategy 2022–2026, which is being driven by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). The Gates Foundation, based in Seattle, has already given about $5 billion to GPEI. Polio can result in death and permanent disability. The extremely contagious virus is passed from person to person through bodily fluids such as feces or droplets from an infected person's sneeze or cough. "The eradication of polio is feasible. Despite our progress, the disease still poses a hazard. Together, we can put an end to this illness, said Bill Gates, co-chair of the foundation. The GPEI is requesting $4.8 billion in funding, which will improve other healthcare services and cover the cost of immunizing 370 million children annually. Melinda French Gates, the second co-chair of the foundation, stated that "Polio workers have been especially crucial in responding to COVID-19 and engaging communities about the significance of vaccination against preventable diseases." When polio was discovered in more than 125 nations and was paralyzing 350,000 people annually, especially young children, GPEI was established. Since then, GPEI is credited with reducing the number of cases of polio by more than 99%. According to the Gates Foundation, factors contributing to the ongoing spread include "interruptions in routine immunization, vaccine disinformation, political turmoil, and the catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022."