Global leaders pledge $1.9B in Abu Dhabi to eradicate polio
Abu Dhabi commitment aims to protect hundreds of millions of children annually and push world closer to ending disease
ABU DHABI, UAE (MNTV) — World leaders, philanthropists, and global health organizations have pledged $1.9 billion in Abu Dhabi to accelerate efforts to eradicate polio worldwide, marking a major boost for one of the longest-running public health campaigns.
The pledge was announced during the Investing in Humanity event held as part of Abu Dhabi Finance Week, hosted by the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity in partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Organizers said the funding is expected to help protect at least 370 million children each year while strengthening health systems to prevent other vaccine-preventable diseases, at a time when many countries are reducing international aid budgets.
Of the total amount, around $1.2 billion represents new funding, narrowing the remaining financing gap for GPEI’s 2022–2029 strategy to approximately $440 million.
The event brought together senior officials and global health leaders, including Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, Vice Chairman of the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, Pakistan’s Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates.
Dr Tedros said the world is close to eliminating polio, describing eradication as a “historic win for humanity,” while stressing the need for sustained global commitment to reach children in the last endemic countries and stop outbreaks of variant poliovirus.
Polio remains endemic in only two countries — Pakistan and Afghanistan — but health officials warn the virus continues to pose a global risk, citing recent detections and outbreaks in conflict-affected areas.
Major pledges included $1.2 billion from the Gates Foundation, $140 million from the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, $450 million from Rotary International, $100 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies, and contributions from Pakistan, Germany, the United States, Japan, and several other countries and organizations.
UAE officials highlighted the country’s longstanding role in global polio eradication efforts, noting that since 2011 the UAE has committed more than $525 million and delivered hundreds of millions of vaccine doses, particularly in Pakistan.
Health leaders said success would make polio only the second human disease ever eradicated, after smallpox, and could save the global economy more than $33 billion by the end of the century.
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