The Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity will host the next major pledging opportunity in support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a coalition of countries and partners dedicated to ending polio worldwide.
The pledging moment will take place on 8 December 2025 in Abu Dhabi, bringing together countries, donors, philanthropists, and global health partners to secure crucial new investments for polio eradication. It will mark the third such pledging moment hosted in Abu Dhabi, following summits in 2013 and 2019 that raised a collective US$6.6 billion in support of the GPEI’s global efforts to end polio.
His Excellency Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations, announced the news on World Polio Day at an event co-hosted by UNICEF and the GPEI in New York.
The event, From Vaccine to Victory: 70 Years of Polio Progress, One Achievable Goal, united programme leadership, donor representatives, academics, and advocates, and took place steps away from the ruins of New York’s old smallpox hospital, a powerful testament to what it means to eradicate a disease.
His Excellency Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab said: “Under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the UAE is committed to ensuring people everywhere have the opportunity to lead healthy, productive lives. The forthcoming pledging moment reflects our belief in the power of collective action to eradicate polio once and for all and to contribute to a healthier, more resilient world.”
Her Excellency Dr Shamma Khalifa Al Mazrouei, Acting Director General of the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, said: “Decades of global partnership has brought us closer than ever before to ending polio. With sustained funding, collaboration, and political leadership, we can achieve a polio-free future and protect children everywhere from this preventable disease.”
The pledging moment will be hosted ahead of Goalkeepers Abu Dhabi, also taking place on 8 December 2025, and co-hosted by the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity and the Gates Foundation. A global convening, Goalkeepers Abu Dhabi celebrates and accelerates progress towards the 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development.
Chris Elias, President of Global Development at the Gates Foundation said: “Polio eradication is within reach, but we must keep up the momentum. We’re confident the world will stay committed to finishing the job.”
Wild poliovirus cases have been reduced by over 99 per cent over the last four decades, bringing eradication within reach. But with wild poliovirus still endemic in two countries and variant polio outbreaks threatening progress, renewed financial and political support is essential to securing a polio-free future for children everywhere.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, is a leading supporter of global efforts to end polio, including through multiyear commitments to GPEI and the Emirates Polio Campaign, which works in partnership with the Government of Pakistan to vaccinate and protect hard-to-reach children. In addition to funding, the UAE has provided technical and diplomatic support to accelerate eradication campaigns and been instrumental in bringing global attention and resources to the issue.
The December pledging event will build on this legacy, serving as a launchpad for new investments in the GPEI’s updated strategy to interrupt transmission and sustain eradication.
Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director said: “Every child has the right to be protected from polio, no matter where they live. This pledging moment is a chance to recommit to reaching the most vulnerable children with lifesaving vaccines. The UAE has been a steadfast supporter in the effort to end polio, and we are grateful for its leadership.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO), said, “We are closer than ever to eradicating polio, but the work is not over yet. The commitments made in Abu Dhabi will be critical to securing the resources and resolve needed to overcome the final hurdles.”
