A senior official of the World Health Organization on Wednesday warned that the elimination of polio in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only country where the paralyzed virus is maintained, is threatened by suspension from the United States.
At an online news conference, Hanan Balki, regional director of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, emphasized the important role of the US financial contribution in the monitoring efforts of the organization for polio and all other communicable diseases, especially within his territory.
Last week, US President Donald Trump ordered an unprecedented 90-day suspension of almost all foreign aids to give his administration a time to evaluate whether American assistance continues to continue many humanitarian, development and security programs. To keep.
Back on his first day at the White House, Trump announced who he was from the United States.
Their executive order to miss the Kovid -19 epidemic and other global health crises, as well as “Failure to adopt immediate needs in demonstrating freedom from unfair politics of WHO member states” along with “failure” The failure failed as it failed. “
Balki referred to the announcement of withdrawing Trump’s announcement as a “very unfortunate” and highlighted that the US has been a “head” of its organization’s work in the eastern Mediterranean region for decades.
The Saudi physician said through an interpreter, “American funding was actually decisive in fighting polio, erases polio. Currently, we are in the last stages of eradicating polio in the last two countries of the world: Afghanistan and Pakistan . “
“We hope that our cooperation with our colleagues will enable us to achieve its goal of completely eradicating polio in these countries,” he said.
Balki insisted on who is surrender to the safety of the world against the resurrection of polio.
In 2024, Pakistan reported 73 cases of paralyzed polioirus, while Afghanistan reported 25 cases. Although there are no additional polio cases in Afghanistan so far, Pakistani authorities have confirmed the polioirus infection before 2025 last week.
Balki blamed the efforts of polio in Gaza due to the destruction of her sewage and hygiene services.
He said that they are ready to discuss the reforms that are planning to make necessary internal assessments to help the United States plans and help the organization’s work forward.
“In 2024 Funding Short Falls has already made disastrous cuts in health operation. “Balki said.
