LONDON — The global fight to eliminate polio faces significant setbacks due to drastic funding cuts from the United States, which could delay eradication efforts and leave more children vulnerable to paralysis, warns a top World Health Organization (WHO) official.

The WHO, alongside key partners like UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been leading the charge to wipe out polio worldwide. However, recent financial withdrawals by the U.S.—including a 90% reduction in USAID grants—have disrupted critical programs. This move aligns with President Donald Trump’s "America First" policy and includes halting collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Hamid Jafari, director of WHO’s polio eradication program for the Eastern Mediterranean region—which includes Afghanistan and Pakistan, where wild poliovirus remains active—revealed that $133 million in expected U.S. funding this year has vanished. "If this gap persists," he said, "we risk prolonging eradication timelines and seeing more children paralyzed." He emphasized that delays would only drive costs higher.

The financial shortfall threatens essential operations such as disease surveillance and staffing but will not impact vaccination campaigns in high-risk countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan. Jafari confirmed that partners are seeking alternative funding sources to sustain critical activities while hoping for renewed U.S. support.

Saudi Arabia recently stepped up with a $500 million pledge toward polio eradication last week—a welcome boost but insufficient alone to cover deficits. Meanwhile, UNICEF declined comment on its terminated grant status while a Gates Foundation spokesperson stressed that no single organization can replace lost U.S. contributions.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative already faces an uphill battle: last year’s reassessment projected an additional $2.4 billion would be needed by 2029 due to extended timelines for eliminating transmission completely.