GENEVA (South Asian Desk) – The WHO polio funding shortfall 2025 emerged as a dire threat on Tuesday when the World Health Organization warned of a $1.7 billion gap through 2029. The deficit stems from donor pullbacks. It endangers vaccination drives in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Officials flagged 36 wild polio cases this year. Eradication slips further away.
The 2025 WHO polio funding shortfall strikes at the core of South Asia. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the world’s only polio-endemic nations. Funding lapses risk outbreaks spilling across borders into India and beyond. Millions of children face paralysis. Regional economies bear vaccination costs. Stability demands urgent donor revival.
WHO Polio Funding Shortfall 2025 Breakdown
WHO polio funding shortfall 2025 totals $1.7 billion for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative through 2029. The gap triggers a 30 percent budget cut in 2026. Core activities face suspension. Surveillance and outbreak responses prioritise high-risk zones. Jamal Ahmed, WHO polio eradication director, addressed the crisis at a Geneva briefing.
Ahmed outlined adaptations. Teams integrate polio efforts with measles campaigns. Fractional dosing stretches supplies. A fifth of a standard dose suffices for protection. Lower-risk areas see scaled-back operations absent outbreaks. “The significant reductions in funding mean that certain activities will simply not happen,” Ahmed stated.
Donor shifts fuel the void. The United States withdrew its support after Trump’s return. Germany and the United Kingdom trimmed pledges. The GPEI, a WHO-led partnership with Rotary International and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, absorbs the blow. Annual losses hit $233 million from US agencies alone.
WHO data reveals broader strains. The organisation’s 2025-2028 investment case projects a $7.1 billion gap for general programmes. Polio forms a pillar. Eastern Mediterranean Regional Director Hanan Al Kuwari echoed alarms. She pegged the GPEI shortfall at $2.4 billion by 2029. “We need the international community’s steadfast support to help us across the finish line,” Al Kuwari urged.
Saudi Arabia stepped in with a $500 million pledge. This infusion bolsters 2026 drives. Yet experts deem it insufficient. The initiative requires $4.5 billion yearly for the full scope. Current trajectories forecast a resurgence by 2027, assuming no bridges are built.
Polio Eradication Pakistan Funding Gap
Polio eradication: Pakistan funding gap widens amid the crunch. Pakistan reported 30 cases of wild poliovirus in 2025. The tally marks a decline from 74 in 2024. Environmental samples numbered 71 positive this year. Transmission lingers in Balochistan and Sindh.
Islamabad mounts aggressive campaigns. Teams vaccinated 40 million children in the September rounds. Security escorts shield workers from militant threats. The Emergency Operations Centre coordinates. Yet funds dwindle. GPEI allocations drop 25 percent for Pakistan operations.
Ahmed highlighted resilience. “Eradication remains feasible and is doable,” he affirmed. “We need everybody to remain committed and ensure that no child is left behind.” Pakistan’s efforts have halved the number of cases since the 2023 peak. Lapses now imperil gains.
Border dynamics complicate containment. Crossings with Afghanistan facilitate the spread. Joint commissions convene monthly. Data sharing detects variants early. Vaccine-derived strains added four cases. These mutate from oral drops in under-immunised pockets.
Provincial health departments report strains. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa logged eight infections. Floods disrupted access last monsoon. Recovery hinges on infusions. The government allocated PKR 5 billion for domestic use. International gaps persist.
Afghanistan Polio Vaccine Shortfall WHO
Afghanistan polio vaccine shortfall mirrors Pakistan’s woes. Six wild cases surfaced in 2025. Nine environmental positives confirmed circulation. The Taliban regime endorses drives. Yet access falters in remote provinces.
Kabul launched nationwide immunisations in April. Over 11 million children received doses. House-to-house teams navigate Taliban checkpoints. WHO supplies oral vaccines. Fractional strategies emerge here, too. Stocks deplete without replenishments.
Al Kuwari noted geopolitical hurdles. “Afghanistan and Pakistan face immense challenges, making achievement far from simple,” she said. US disengagement costs $133 million yearly to GPEI. Technical voids hamper surveillance.
Resurgence hit early 2025. Eastern regions saw clusters. Coordinated pauses vaccinated 560,000 in Gaza as a precedent. Similar truces aid Afghan efforts. Yet famine and conflict displace families. Twenty-three million require aid.
WHO convenes Afghanistan-Pakistan health dialogues. These foster cooperation. Eradication targets concurrent closure. Vaccine coverage hit 90 percent in urban hubs. Rural gaps yawn at 70 percent.
Global Polio Efforts: US Aid Cut
Global polio efforts and US aid cuts catalyse the crisis. Washington has slashed $100 million from the WHO’s annual budget. CDC expertise evaporates. USAID logistics halt. The pivot follows Trump’s critique of the WHO.
Broader ripples hit. In 2025, 149 vaccine-derived cases emerged globally. Nigeria leads with clusters. Somalia and Yemen report outbreaks. GPEI pivots to essentials. Mass campaigns since 1988 slashed the incidence by 99 percent.
Rotary mobilises donors. Bill Gates warns of reversals. “Polio’s near-miss demands vigilance,” a foundation release stated. UN agencies rally. Yet commitments lag.
South Asia absorbs shocks. India eradicated wild strains in 2014. Vigilance persists. Border screenings intensify. Bangladesh aids transit vaccinations.
Background: Near Victories and Setbacks
Polio plagued billions pre-1988. GPEI formed then. Cases plummeted from 350,000 yearly. Targets missed: 2000, 2005, 2015. Afghanistan and Pakistan held out. 2024’s 99 cases spurred urgency. 2025’s decline teases hope. Funding falters now.
The US has historically led. Contributions have exceeded $4 billion since the company’s inception. Trump’s shift redirects to domestic priorities. Allies strain. Germany cut 15 percent. The UK froze increments.
What’s Next: Bridging the Divide
Donors convene in November. Pledges target $1 billion immediately. GPEI eyes 2026 certification. Campaigns accelerate. Surveillance drones test pilots.
The WHO polio funding shortfall in 2025 is to be resolved. South Asia’s children await deliverance.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, October 22nd, 2025
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