We regret yesterday’s announcement that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) is planning to end its funding for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).

For nearly four decades, the UK has been a crucial partner in our efforts to eradicate polio—providing technical expertise, political leadership, and over US$ 1.75 billion in flexible funding. This support has helped protect more than 3 billion children from polio, prevent over 20 million cases of paralysis, and bring the world to the brink of ending polio for good. In 2025, the GPEI vaccinated 440 million children against polio, many of them in fragile and conflict-affected areas.

We note the UK will continue to support WHO and Gavi and look forward to engaging closely to ensure those investments support the goal of a polio-free world. However, reductions in earmarked funding for GPEI carry significant risks and will have a real impact on the health of some of the most vulnerable children in the world.

Due to reduced support from major donors, the GPEI has already been forced to cut its 2026 budget by 30%, causing the program to scale back operations, especially around surveillance and outbreak response. We have the tools and expertise to end polio, but without sustained commitment, we risk a global resurgence of this devastating disease—at a cost far exceeding what continued eradication efforts require.

Eradicating polio is also a strategic investment in the UK’s own health security. Recent detections of poliovirus in countries that have long been polio-free, including earlier this year in the UK, underscore that as long as polio exists anywhere, it remains a threat everywhere.

The GPEI remains committed to working with the UK and hopes that direct funding will be restored in the future. Together, our goal must be to finish the job and secure a lasting polio‑free future for generations to come.