New funding may put end of polio in reach

The world is moving closer to ending polio, Bill Gates says, with new pledges announced in Abu Dhabi pushing the global campaign to within about $440 million of the funding needed to finish the job by 2029.

- ASHLEIGH FURLONG

Gates, whose foundation is the biggest private backer of the effort, said momentum is finally aligning after years of setbacks. "We're with a reasonable chance of success, not a guarantee, but we're reasonably close to the end," he said in an interview. "So the next four years of funding make a big difference."

The latest commitments, including $1.2 billion from the Gates Foundation and major contributions from Rotary, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Bloomberg Philanthropies, come amid a slump in global health financing, which is down almost 27% in 2025.

This year is on track to be the first in at least a quarter of a century to see an increase in deaths among children under 5.

Polio, however, remains one of the few programs largely shielded from cuts, and the U.S. announced an additional $46 million. "Of all the global health items, I would be stunned if that ever got touched," Gates, 70, said.

In all, donors announced $1.9 billion in Abu Dhabi, including $140 million from the UAE's Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity and $62 million from Germany, according to organizers.

Bloomberg Philanthropies is the charitable organization of Michael R. Bloomberg, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.