Rotary International has provided a grant of US$ 9.9 million to the World Health Organization in Pakistan to support vaccination of 27 million children in high-risk districts as part of nationwide polio vaccination campaigns planned for 2026. The funding will strengthen the Pakistan-led Polio Eradication Initiative and support door-to-door and subnational drives that reach more than 45 million children across the country each year.
The grant is part of a larger US$ 14.9 million contribution from Rotary toward polio eradication efforts in Pakistan. WHO will use the funds to bolster campaign operations in Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, financing human resources, training, transportation, supplies for frontline workers, vaccine carriers and other operational costs that are essential for effective polio vaccination on the ground.
Pakistan has made dramatic progress since the launch of its Polio Eradication Initiative three decades ago, reducing polio cases by 99.8 percent from an estimated 20,000 cases in 1994 to 31 cases in 2025. Globally, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has cut cases by 99.9 percent since 1988, yet wild poliovirus type 1 remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr Luo Dapeng welcomed Rotary’s support, saying it exemplifies how partnerships can protect millions of lives. “Rotary’s long-standing commitment is crucial in our journey towards a polio-free world,” he said, underscoring the role of continued funding and advocacy in reaching every child with polio vaccination.
Rotary is a founding member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and has contributed about US$ 3 billion to global eradication efforts and nearly US$ 500 million to Pakistan, alongside significant volunteer engagement and advocacy. WHO notes that recent detections of wild poliovirus type 1 outside endemic countries, including a case identified in Germany in November, reinforce the urgent need to sustain high-quality immunization campaigns until the virus is eradicated everywhere.
A WHO staff member and a polio vaccinator were photographed during a vaccination campaign in October 2025 in Pakistan. Photo credit: WHO Pakistan. The latest Rotary grant is timed to support upcoming campaign cycles and to ensure frontline teams in high-risk districts are equipped to deliver timely polio vaccination and protect children from paralytic polio.
