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In a powerful show of global solidarity, Rotary International and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have renewed their landmark partnership to eradicate polio worldwide, pledging up to US$450 million over three years to the fight.
Announced at the Rotary International Convention in Calgary, the renewed commitment will continue Rotary’s annual contribution of US$50 million, with each dollar matched 2-to-1 by the Gates Foundation.
The funding supports the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a coalition of major international health organizations working to eradicate the virus everywhere it still exists.
“Rotary was the first to envision a world without polio—and today, we have the tools and knowledge to make that vision a reality,” said Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation.
“If we all maintain our commitment and keep funding the solutions we know work, then soon, no family will have to live in fear of this horrific disease ever again.”
Since 1988, the number of polio cases has dropped by over 99.9.
This is as a result of GPEI, which was initiated by Rotary, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and later joined by the Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
“While historic progress has been made toward defeating polio—90 percent of the world’s population is free from the wild poliovirus—we’re facing significant challenges from competing financial priorities to fragile health systems. Furthermore, the detection of polio in places like Papua New Guinea that were previously polio-free demonstrates that polio anywhere is a threat everywhere,” said Rotary International PolioPlus Committee Chair Mike McGovern.
“The extension of our fundraising partnership with the Gates Foundation allows us to reach children around the world with lifesaving vaccines, keeping every child and community safe from this preventable disease.”
That’s why the renewed funding matters.
It supports everything from vaccine delivery and outbreak response to health worker training and community engagement, especially in regions where conflict or weak health systems complicate access, like in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.
“For 40 years, Rotary has remained steadfast in our commitment to ending polio for good, and the Gates Foundation partnership renewal underscores the importance of this effort,” said Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick.
“With gratitude to the Gates Foundation, we remain resolute in delivering on our promise of a polio-free world. Rotary members across Africa have played a critical role in this effort, from organizing immunization days to financing cold chain systems. Canadian Rotary members alone have contributed US$50 million, part of Rotary’s overall US$2.9 billion invested in the cause.”
Governments have also stepped up. Canada, for instance, most recently pledged CAD$151 million, adding to its long-term commitment of over CAD$1 billion toward polio eradication.
If eradicated, polio would become only the second human disease in history to be wiped out, after smallpox.
Today, the GPEI’s coordinated global efforts, over 2.5 billion children in 200+ countries have been immunized.
About Rotary:
Rotary unites a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges and creating lasting change.
Rotary connects 1.2 million people of action from more than 45,000 Rotary clubs in almost every country in the world, including approximately 3,000 members in more than 100 clubs in Alberta and more than 20,000 members in over 750 clubs across Canada.
Their service improves lives both locally and internationally, from helping those in need in their communities to working toward a polio-free world.
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the world’s largest private philanthropic organizations, committed to improving health, reducing poverty, and expanding access to education and opportunity globally.
Founded in 2000 by Bill and Melinda Gates, the Foundation works in close partnership with governments, civil society, and the private sector to drive innovation and deliver impact at scale.
In global health, the Foundation has made polio eradication one of its top priorities, contributing more than US$5 billion to the cause since 2000.
