Polio could again become a global threat if efforts to fully eradicate it are not completed, scientists warn. Despite a years-long campaign, the wild strain of the virus persists in Afghanistan and Pakistan — as of July 21, 2026, 18 infection cases have been recorded there. Experts fear that stopping the fight would lead to a resurgence, with hundreds of thousands of cases annually, reports infohub.kz.
The situation is compounded by a sharp reduction in funding for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). The U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization cut the program's budget by 30%. In addition, the problem of vaccine-derived polio persists: in Nigeria, low immunization coverage allowed the weakened strain to mutate and begin infecting people.
Despite the challenges, charitable organizations and individual countries continue to provide support. Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Rotary International philanthropists are allocating billions of dollars for eradication. Experts urge governments to remain vigilant until the virus is completely eliminated.