ISLAMABAD: Rotary International has provided a $9.9 million grant to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Pakistan to support the vaccination of 27 million children against polio in high-risk districts, WHO said on Wednesday, reinforcing nationwide eradication efforts in one of the last two countries where the disease remains endemic.

The funding will support WHO’s operational role within the Pakistan-led Polio Eradication Initiative, which conducts multiple door-to-door and subnational immunization campaigns each year, reaching more than 45 million children across the country.

Polio eradication remains a critical public-health priority for Pakistan, which, along with Afghanistan, is among the only two countries worldwide where wild poliovirus type 1 continues to circulate. While Pakistan has made substantial progress over the past three decades, health officials warn that persistent transmission in high-risk areas continues to pose a global threat.

Since the launch of Pakistan’s eradication program in the mid-1990s, polio cases have fallen by 99.8 percent, from about 20,000 cases in 1994 to 31 cases reported in 2025, according to official data. Globally, cases have declined by 99.9 percent since 1988 under the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).

“Rotary’s support is the best example of how a partnership can protect millions of lives. WHO extends its deepest appreciation to Rotary for its continuing support as a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Rotary’s long-standing commitment is crucial in our journey toward a polio-free world,” Dr. Luo Dapeng, WHO representative in Pakistan, said in a statement. 

The grant to WHO Pakistan forms part of a broader $14.9 million contribution by Rotary toward polio eradication efforts in the country. The funding will support immunization campaigns in high-risk districts of Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, covering operational costs such as frontline health worker incentives, training, transportation, vaccine carriers and campaign logistics.

To date, Rotary has contributed $3 billion globally toward polio eradication, including nearly $500 million in Pakistan, alongside advocacy efforts and volunteer support. Health authorities say the latest funding will help sustain momentum as Pakistan works to interrupt final chains of transmission.

Rotary is a founding partner of the GPEI, a public-private alliance led by national governments and supported by WHO, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Health officials say sustained financing and political commitment remain essential as global travel and migration continue to expose polio-free countries to potential re-importation.

“Science indicates that ending polio in Pakistan and worldwide is within reach if we sustain the ongoing partnership and eradication efforts,” Dr. Luo said.

“However, the detection of wild poliovirus type 1 in Germany last November is a strong reminder that the cost of inaction would be far greater than the cost of action, since no country and no child will be safe until the virus is fully eradicated everywhere.”