Saudi Arabia has announced that it signed two agreements last year totaling $500 million with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF to protect 370 million children against polio, with a significant focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The official Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday, October 25, coinciding with World Polio Day, that the kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating the disease. Under the first agreement, $300 million is allocated to support WHO programs in high-risk countries, particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan.
This aid, delivered through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), is designated for advancing vaccination programs, increasing health awareness, and strengthening healthcare services in needy countries.
The announcement comes as Afghanistan continues to be one of the top countries affected by polio. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries in the world where the wild poliovirus has not yet been eradicated.
According to WHO statistics, 42 cases of the disease have been recorded in Afghanistan and six in Pakistan since the beginning of this year. This represents a dramatic increase in Afghanistan.
The number of polio cases in Afghanistan has surged from four in 2021, the year the Taliban returned to power, to 42 this year, marking a 950% increase. Meanwhile, the Taliban administration halted house-to-house vaccination campaigns in 2024, a move the WHO has warned makes children more vulnerable by preventing many from receiving the vaccine.
Source: Saudi Press Agency
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