Wiping Out Polio "Not Guaranteed," Bill Gates Warns

Success in the fight to wipe out polio is not guaranteed, according to tech billionaire turned philanthropist Bill Gates, whose foundation has poured billions into the effort, reported Jennifer Rigby for Reuters.

Cases of polio, a viral disease that used to paralyze thousands of children every year, have declined by more than 99% since 1988 thanks to mass vaccination campaigns.

Gates warned against complacency in tackling the deadly viral disease as he welcomed a $500 million pledge from Saudi Arabia on Sunday to fight polio over the next five years, bringing it in line with the US as one of the biggest national donors.

However, there is still a $1.2 billion funding gap in the $4.8 billion budget for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) up to 2026, a spokesperson said.

The new money from Saudi Arabia will go some way toward closing that. Saudi Arabia has supported polio eradication for more than 20 years, but the significant increase in funding comes amid a “challenging” situation, said Abdullah Al Moallem, director of health at the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, the kingdom’s aid arm.

Cases of polio, a viral disease that used to paralyze thousands of children every year, have declined by more than 99% since 1988 thanks to mass vaccination campaigns.

But the aim of getting cases down to zero, particularly in the two countries where the wild form of the virus remains endemic – Afghanistan and Pakistan – has been held up by insecurity in the regions where pockets of children remain unvaccinated.

"It’s not guaranteed that we will succeed,” Gates told Reuters in an online call last week. “I feel very strongly that we can succeed, but it’s been difficult.”