A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official warned Wednesday (29/1) that polio eradication in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only two countries where the crippling virus persists, is threatened by a halt in funding from the United States.
In an online press conference, Hanan Balkhy, regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, stressed the critical role of US financial contributions to the organization's response to polio and all other infectious diseases, particularly in its region.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an unprecedented 90-day suspension of nearly all foreign aid to give his administration time to evaluate whether to continue funding a range of humanitarian, development and security programs that receive U.S. assistance.
On his first day back in the White House, Trump announced that he was withdrawing the United States from the WHO. The executive order accused the United Nations agency of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and other global health crises, failing to “adopt much-needed reforms, and its failure to demonstrate independence from inappropriate political influence from WHO member states.”
Balkhy called Trump's announcement to withdraw from the WHO "very unfortunate" and noted that the US has been a "major" supporter of his organisation's work in the Eastern Mediterranean region for decades.
“US funding is crucial in fighting polio, eradicating polio. Right now, we are in the last phase of eradicating polio in the last two countries in the world: Afghanistan and Pakistan,” the Saudi doctor said through an interpreter.
“We hope that our collaboration with our partners will enable us to achieve our goal of completely eradicating polio in these countries during this final phase,” he added.
Balkhy emphasized WHO's dedication to protecting the world from a polio resurgence.
In 2024, Pakistan reported 73 cases of paralytic poliovirus, while Afghanistan reported 25 cases. While there have been no additional polio cases in Afghanistan so far, Pakistani officials confirmed the first poliovirus infection of 2025 last week.
Balkhy attributed WHO-led efforts to contain what he described as the “inevitable” spread of polio in Gaza to the collapse of sewage and sanitation services.
He said they stand ready to discuss reforms the United States plans to propose and conduct internal assessments needed to help advance the organization’s work. “The funding shortfall in 2024 has led to devastating cuts to life-saving health operations. We ask for your support in amplifying our message — help us save lives, restore health systems, and bring hope to millions,” Balkhy said.
Post a Comment for "WHO: US Funding Cut Threatens Polio Progress"