The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Commits $30 Million to Polio Eradication Efforts

Contribution includes education initiative leading up to Hajj

New York -- The United Nations Foundation and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced today that the Kingdom will contribute $30 million to eradicate polio worldwide, making it only the second disease to be eliminated from the world. The vast majority of the world is now polio-free, but polio remains endemic in four countries—Nigeria, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Today’s announcement was made by United Nations Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner, UN Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth, Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Saud Al-Faisal, and Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations H.E. Khalid Abdalrazaq Al-Nafisee during the annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), where Former President Bill Clinton commended the leaders in the fight against polio.

To read the full press release, visit the United Nations Foundation web site.

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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

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United Nations Foundation