$500 Million Funds 379 Million Polio Vaccination Yearly

During the fourth Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its $500 million pledge to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). 

This agreement will help the GPEI and its partners reach 370 million children with polio vaccines annually.

The funds were initially pledged in April 2024 at the first World Economic Forum Special Meeting held in Riyadh.

“The world is on the path to eradicating polio once and for all, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is proud to be part of this global initiative,” said H.E. Dr. Abdullah al Rabeeah in a press release on February 24, 2025.

“The Kingdom’s contribution will go toward the important work of protecting the most vulnerable children of today so that the generations of tomorrow can live free from this preventable disease.”

Since the GPEI was founded in 1988, polio cases have fallen by over 99% due to decades of leadership from GPEI partners, generous donor support, and the commitment of affected countries.

The World Health Organization recently confirmed during the 40th meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee for Polio that the spread of poliovirus remained a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

To alert international travelers of this health risk, the U.S. CDC reissued an advisory revealing polio outbreaks and poliovirus detections in 39 countries. The CDC encourages anyone visiting polio-risk areas to be fully vaccinated in 2025.