London: A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official has warned that unless US funding cuts, which might amount to hundreds of millions of dollars over several years, are reversed, the eradication of polio as a global health hazard may be postponed.
To eradicate polio, the WHO collaborates with organizations like UNICEF and the Gates Foundation. Efforts have been hampered by the United States’ planned withdrawal from WHO, which includes halting cooperation with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In an effort to align aid with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, the State Department slashed 90% of USAID’s grants globally last week, including UNICEF’s polio program.
A total of $133 million that was anticipated this year from the US is absent from the agreement.
