Polio Budget Cuts and New Cases Spark Global Health Concerns

Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, announced that the polio eradication program will face a 40% budget cut in 2026. This reduction comes despite ongoing challenges in controlling the virus, raising alarms about the future of global polio elimination efforts1.

Rising Polio Cases in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Recent data show a troubling increase in wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the last two countries where polio remains endemic. In 2024, Afghanistan reported 25 confirmed cases and Pakistan 33, with environmental samples also indicating widespread virus presence, particularly in southern and border regions237. The first months of 2025 have already seen new cases in both countries, including two confirmed in Afghanistan’s southern provinces510.

Impact of Vaccination Challenges and Cross-Border Spread

The resurgence is linked to disruptions in vaccination campaigns, especially the suspension of house-to-house immunizations in Afghanistan and Taliban restrictions on female health workers, limiting access to vulnerable children. The virus is also spreading across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, with genetic analysis showing strains in Pakistan originating from Afghanistan689.

Global Polio Eradication Initiative Faces Funding Shortfall

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, launched in 1988 with a goal to eradicate polio by 2000, has extended its deadline to 2029 due to persistent virus circulation. WHO requested $6.9 billion for the program but has secured only $4.6 billion so far. The funding gap has widened partly due to the withdrawal of U.S. support from WHO, exacerbating the risk of a global resurgence1.

WHO Urges Immediate Investment to Prevent Resurgence

Speaking at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Balkhy emphasized the critical moment: “We are at a tipping point. Either we invest now to finish the job or risk a global resurgence.” New polio cases in Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and Gaza further complicate eradication efforts, underscoring the need for sustained funding and vaccination drives1.

World Health Assembly Focuses on Global Health Challenges

The 78th World Health Assembly, held under the theme “One World for Health,” is ongoing in Geneva from May 19 to 27, addressing urgent health issues including polio eradication amid funding and logistical challenges1.