The European Commission, European Investment Bank, and the “Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation” have unveiled a substantial partnership, sealing a financial accord that exceeds one billion euros with a focused objective: to shield 370 million children worldwide from the clutches of polio annually and to ensure that health innovations cascade to those who teeter on the brink of desperation for them.
As articulated by the European Commission in an announcement dispatched via its official website, both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), being the operative partners in combatting polio, will allocate resources to extinguish polio and bolster the distribution of other vaccinations and immunizations to children. This comes with a stringent enhancement of healthcare systems, rendering them more proficient in responding to emergent health threats.
A projected funding package of €1.1 billion is designated with the strategic intent of providing novel funding to eradicate the disease and assist in navigating the healthcare and developmental challenges encountered by the world’s most vulnerable individuals, who, without this, would be deprived of equitable access to healthcare services and innovations.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, underscored the gravity and ambition of the initiative, stating, “We are on the precipice of obliterating polio from the face of the Earth. The European Commission, European Investment Bank, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are converging to accomplish the final stage of this objective. Through one billion euros, fortified by our European investment strategy, dubbed the ‘Global Gateway,’ we will invest in stronger healthcare systems worldwide and in the domestic production, manufacturing, and management of vaccines and medicines where they are critically necessitated.”
The statement further embellished that this partnership marks a significant escalation in global health and human development funding under the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+). It is anticipated to encompass supplementary funding for global health by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, thereby augmenting the impact of every euro pledged by the Union and the European Investment Bank.
Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank, noted, “Today, we stand united to script the final chapter in the history of polio. The European Investment Bank is playing its role in a unique partnership with philanthropic and health partners by providing €500 million in investment to support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. This initiative will stand as a landmark in expanding the scope of immunization and fortifying healthcare, ensuring every child, regardless of circumstances, is safeguarded against polio.”
An additional €500 million aims to amplify the innovative capacity of healthcare systems in low and middle-income countries. This includes new funding for initiatives supported by the European Commission, such as efforts to make health innovations like vaccines and RNA-based treatments more accessible to people in low and middle-income countries, under the European Investment Plan for the World, the Global Gateway. Moreover, further investments in global health will be discussed amongst leaders and global partners at the anticipated upcoming Global Gateway forum on the 25-26th of October, according to the statement
