New pledges to close polio funding gap

Rotary International volunteers carry vaccine boxes during an end polio campaign in India. New pledges were announced in support of global efforts to eradicate the disease during a high-level event in New York. Photo by: Gates Foundation / CC BY-NC-ND

The global drive to eradicate polio secured new financial and political commitments at a high-level event held Sept. 27 in New York, USA.

As anticipated, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced at the gathering — which featured public and private stakeholders — that he is elevating the eradication of polio as a top priority for his second term as head of the global body.

The heads of Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, meanwhile, committed to continue working to end polio in their countries. These three are the only countries in the world where polio remains endemic. Among challenges faced by polio eradication efforts in these countries are the conflict in Pakistan and Afghanistan and the drought and insecurity in West Africa.

A number of new pledges were announced at the event in support of global efforts to eradicate the disease and to help fill a $945 million funding gap:

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