UK axes funding for Pandemic Fund and Global Polio Eradication Initiative
The United Kingdom plans to end funding for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and the Pandemic Fund.
The details were announced on Wednesday — as part of the country’s official development assistance funding allocations for 2026 to 2029 — by Yvette Cooper, U.K. secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, who said the move is intended to “prioritise the most effective investments.”
The Pandemic Fund had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication, but a spokesperson for GPEI told Devex that any declines in support for polio eradication efforts “increases the risk of prolonged transmission or resurgence.” While there remain only two countries where polio remains endemic, the virus continues to be detected in several regions, including in Europe, which means it remains a global threat.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
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