L-R: Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Catherine Russell, Government Director of UNICEF; H.E. Dr. Abdullah al Rabeeah, Manager Normal of King Salman Aid and Humanitarian Centre, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-Normal of the International Well being Group; Dr. Chris Elias, President of World Construction on the Gates Basis and Chair of the Polio Oversight Board; and Aziz Memon, Pakistan Polio Plus Chair, Rotary Global, on degree on the Riyadh Global Humanitarian Discussion board.
RIYADH (24 February 2025) – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia nowadays reaffirmed its US$ 500 million pledge to the World Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in a signing match all the way through the fourth Riyadh Global Humanitarian Discussion board.
H.E. Dr. Abdullah al Rabeeah, Manager Normal of King Salman Aid and Humanitarian Centre, used to be joined via Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-Normal of the International Well being Group; Catherine Russell, Government Director of UNICEF; Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Dr. Chris Elias, President of World Construction on the Gates Basis and Chair of the Polio Oversight Board; and Aziz Memon, Pakistan Polio Plus Chair, Rotary Global, to signal an settlement that can lend a hand the GPEI and its companions to achieve 370 million kids with polio vaccines each and every 12 months and forestall transmission of the virus for just right. The price range had been to begin with pledged in April 2024 on the first-ever International Financial Discussion board Particular Assembly hosted in Riyadh.
“The arena is at the trail to removing polio as soon as and for all, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is proud to be a part of this world initiative,” mentioned H.E. Dr. Abdullah al Rabeeah. “The Kingdom’s contribution will cross towards the essential paintings of defending essentially the most inclined kids of nowadays in order that the generations of the next day to come can reside loose from this preventable illness.”
On account of a long time of management from GPEI companions, beneficiant toughen from donors and the dedication of affected international locations, polio instances have fallen via over 99% because the GPEI used to be based in 1988. Greater than 20 million individuals are strolling nowadays who would another way had been paralyzed via the virus. However fraught humanitarian crises – from portions of Pakistan and Afghanistan to Somalia and Yemen – have allowed the virus to proceed paralyzing the sector’s maximum inclined kids. In 2024, the virus returned to Gaza within the occupied Palestinian territory after 25 years to paralyze a kid, a merciless reminder that so long as polio exists anyplace, kids all over the place will stay in danger.
“We have now come thus far in our shared project to consign polio to historical past, however the closing mile is the toughest,” mentioned WHO Director-Normal Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Completing the activity calls for unwavering decision, and this beneficiant contribution from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will lend a hand us to achieve kids in conflict-affected and different difficult-to-reach spaces as we paintings in combination to appreciate our imaginative and prescient of a polio-free global.”
“As we noticed in Gaza closing 12 months, the hard-won good points of the worldwide eradication effort are fragile if vaccination charges are allowed to drop. With the toughen of dedicated companions just like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we will higher attain each and every kid with life-saving vaccination and finish polio, as soon as and for all,” mentioned UNICEF Government Director Catherine Russell.
These days, governments and well being staff, with toughen from the GPEI, are adapting to ship polio vaccinations and different very important well being products and services inside humanitarian crises, whilst additionally strengthening well being methods to reinforce efforts in fragile contexts. Each and every dedication towards totally investment the GPEI’s prolonged 2022-2029 Technique is helping make this vital paintings conceivable.
“Only a few a long time in the past, polio paralyzed 350,000 kids each and every 12 months. In 2023, that quantity dropped to only 12 – a testomony to the unwavering dedication of nations and companions international. The arena is on the breaking point of in the end removing this fatal illness, however achieving the end line would require persevered world management and toughen,” mentioned Invoice Gates, chair of the Gates Basis. “Due to this beneficiant contribution from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, along long-standing efforts of many countries, we’re one step nearer to a polio-free global.”
Following the signing, H.E. Dr. Abdullah al Rabeeah will sign up for GPEI and different world leaders and well being advocates for a panel dialogue at the significance of achieving all kids with polio vaccines, removing the illness for just right and bettering world well being safety.
Further spouse quotes
Mike McGovern, Global PolioPlus Chair, Rotary Global: “Saudi Arabia’s $500 million contribution is a pivotal step in our project to eliminate polio. This investment will allow Rotarians and well being staff to accentuate their efforts in achieving each and every kid, making sure that no person is left prone to this preventable illness.”
Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO, Gavi: “Strengthening world immunization efforts is the most important to protective kids from preventable illnesses. Through improving immunization, we will make sure that kids all over the place are safeguarded in opposition to a variety of sicknesses, together with polio, and transfer nearer to a more healthy, extra resilient global.”
For media inquiries: Jacob Baskes (jbaskes@globalhealthstragies.com)
In regards to the World Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)
The World Polio Eradication Initiative is a public-private partnership, spearheaded via nationwide governments, WHO, Rotary Global, america Facilities for Illness Keep watch over and Prevention, UNICEF, the Gates Basis and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Since its release in 1988, this partnership has helped save you greater than 20 million instances of paralysis, avoided greater than 1.5 million adolescence deaths and diminished the prevalence of untamed poliovirus via 99.9 %.
