The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a commitment of $1.2 billion to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to support implementation of polio eradication programs in Pakistan and Afghanistan—where the virus is endemic—and stop outbreaks of new variants of the virus.

The funding pledge was made ahead of the 2022 World Health Summit in Berlin, where GPEI is looking to fully fund its four-year, $4.8 billion Polio Eradication Strategy to reach 370 million children each year, integrating polio vaccination campaigns with broader health services and essential immunization programs. A longtime supporter of GPEI, the foundation has contributed funds totaling nearly $5 billion to the global public-private partnership.

GPEI’s efforts include deepening relationships with communities, supporting governments in responding to outbreaks, and helping advance the rollout of a next-generation polio vaccine. Since 1988, GPEI has helped reduce polio cases globally by more than 99 percent and prevented an estimated 20 million cases of polio paralysis. According to the foundation, despite progress, the interruption of immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, recent floods in Pakistan, the resurgence of polio in countries thought to have eliminated the virus, and detection of wild polio virus in African countries that originated outside their borders demonstrates the ongoing need for funding.

“The last steps to [polio] eradication are by far the toughest. But our foundation remains dedicated to a polio-free future, and we’re optimistic that we will see it soon,” said Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman. “Our investments in polio eradication not only bring us closer to that critical goal, they build long-term resilience by bolstering health care infrastructure and ensuring we’re prepared to respond to future pandemics.”

“The fight against polio has done far more than protect children against polio. It has played a key role in strengthening health systems,” said Gates Foundation co-chair Melinda French Gates. “Polio workers have been especially vital in responding to COVID-19 and reaching communities about the importance of vaccination against preventable diseases.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Jacob Lund)