Saudi Arabia Pledges $500M to Support Global Polio Vaccination Efforts

DID Press: Saudi Arabia has pledged $500 million to support vaccination programmes and efforts to eradicate polio, including initiatives targeting children in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The funding comes amid concerns over the spread of wild poliovirus in Afghanistan and challenges in ensuring that children in some parts of the country have access to vaccines.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) signed two agreements with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to support polio prevention efforts and protect 370 million children annually.

Under the agreements, $300 million has been allocated to support WHO programmes in high-risk countries, particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan. The funding will support prevention, technical assistance, epidemiological surveillance and other activities aimed at stopping the transmission of the virus.

The remaining $200 million will support UNICEF’s work, including vaccine procurement, strengthening cold-chain systems, supporting primary healthcare centres, conducting vaccination campaigns and raising public awareness.