Despite nearing polio eradication, recent trends in Pakistan and Afghanistan show a worrying increase in cases, partly due to disruptions in vaccination efforts. Reports indicate that cuts to USAID funding threaten to reverse progress, potentially leading to thousands of new cases annually. Health officials warn that interrupted vaccination campaigns can lead to the resurgence of polio, as even one new case poses risks for further spread in neighboring countries. Global health leaders emphasize the urgent need for continued support to avoid a public health crisis.
The sudden cuts to U.S. funding are also affecting efforts to eradicate polio," said director general of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in mid-March.
Enrich projected an additional 200,000 cases of polio that cause paralysis each year, and hundreds of millions of infections overall, if U.S. aid continues to pause.
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