World Health Summit: Gates foundation commits to eradicating polio worldwide

BERLIN — The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced at the World Health Summit in Berlin that it would commit $1.2 billion to help eradicate polio worldwide.

The money will support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative through 2026. The GPEI was created in 1988 and is considered one of the world’s largest international public health initiatives.

“Polio eradication is within reach. But as far as we have come, the disease remains a threat. Working together, the world can end this disease,” Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said Sunday at the summit.

The initiative is trying to end the polio virus in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the last two endemic countries, the foundation said in a statement.

Melinda Gates, co-chair of the foundation, also spoke at the summit noting the additional benefits of the initiative.

“The fight against polio has done far more than protect children against polio. It has played a key role in strengthening health systems,” Melinda Gates said. “Polio workers have been especially vital in responding to COVID-19 and reaching communities about the importance of vaccination against preventable diseases.”

According to The Associated Press, the foundation has contributed nearly $5 billion to the polio eradication initiative.

The eradication initiative is a public-private partnership led by a group of national governments that includes the Gates Foundation, Rotary International, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the AP reported.

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