Jamal Ahmed

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which includes the World Health Organization, is facing a 30% budget cut next year and a $1.7 billion funding gap through 2029.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, the WHO's head of polio eradication, Jamal Ahmed, said the shortage was driven mainly by the Trump administration's foreign aid cuts.

He said the technical and financial constraints could threaten decades of progress and lead to a resurgence of polio and other diseases.

The WHO's plan is to concentrate resources on surveillance and vaccination in high-risk areas such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Fatma Tanis, NPR News.