U.S. Policy Shifts and Funding Cuts Threaten Global Polio Eradication Efforts
Recent policy changes and funding cuts by the U.S. government are jeopardizing global polio eradication efforts, according to a report by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Independent Monitoring Board (IMB). In 2025, the Trump administration announced its intention to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) and defund it, along with dismantling USAID and withdrawing from parts of the United Nations. These actions led to the evaporation of approximately $230 million dedicated to fighting global polio. Nicholas Enrich, then acting assistant administrator for global health at USAID, warned in a March 2025 memo that these cuts could lead to an additional 200,000 severe polio cases annually in the U.S., especially amid rising anti-vaccine sentiment. The Congressional Budget in April proposed nearly halving global health funding, specifically targeting Gavi, a key polio vaccine supplier. Although the State Department reinstated Gavi's funding in July 2025 due to bipartisan pushback, expert... 
