Investing For Humanity High Level Statements

Dear highness she hamdan bin Muhammad bin Zed, my friend Bill Gates, excellencies, ministers, distinguished guests, dear colleagues and friends and thank you to UAE and thank you to the Muhammad bin Zen Foundation. for humanity for your leadership and for hosting this important event. The fight against polio is a dramatic illustration of how partnership can create a better future. In 1988, 350,000 children around the world were paralyzed by polio every year. Today, thanks to the global polio eradication initiative, a true model of public private collaboration, while polio virus is endemic in only two countries and fewer than 50 children worldwide have been paralyzed this year.

This is one of the greatest global public health achievements of our lifetime. It's a shared achievement between governments who brought leadership and commitment, held workers who cross conflict lines, rivers and mountains, civil society, especially our friends at Rotary International, whose leadership has driven this effort for nearly four decades. philanthropies who invested generously and strategically, especially to the unwavering commitment of Bill Gates and the scientific community which developed tools that once seemed impossible. The story of polio is the story of what humanity can accomplish when we act together. The story of polio is the story of humanity when it unites what it can achieve.

But the job is not yet finished. As long as polio exists anywhere, it remains a threat everywhere. Recent detections, including in high-income countries, remind us that vaccines, viruses do not respect borders, ideology or geography. Finishing eradication is not only a moral imperative, it is also a smart investment. We have the tools, the strategies, and the knowledge.

What we need now is continued political and stronger political will and the financial commitment. That's why today's pledging moment is so important. Your contributions are not simply numbers. They're an investment in children's futures, in stronger health systems, and in global security. there a a statement that we choose cooperation over complacency long-term vision over short-term retreat.

It sends a signal to the world that even in a time of uncertainty, partnership remains our most powerful tool to create a better world for all. As we all know, we're living in a moment of profound challenges for development and global health. Since 2023, the world has lost more than $60 billion in development assistance. At the same time, over three billion people now live in countries that spend more on servicing debt than on health or education. These are not abstract numbers.

They translate into real lives, real futures, and real opportunities lost. But this is also a moment of possibility. Around the world, countries, multilateral organizations, philanthropies, and the private sector are working together to make smart and strategic investments to improve lives and well-being. Health is one of the clearest examples of what partnership can deliver. Together, we can make polio the second human disease in history to be eradicated.

That's after small pox. A gift from this generation to every generation that follows. Thank you all for your commitment to investing in humanity and to realizing our shared vision for a polio free world. Shukran jazilan. I thank you.

Excellencies, honorable ministers, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I think in these times of uncertainty, when hope is shaken in terms of the state of the world, I would argue that the story of polio eradication gives us an important reason to renew our hope. What Dr. Tedras just mentioned from 400,000 or thereabouts children being paralyzed by this virus coming to less than 100. 99.9% reduction from where we were.

Tens of billions of dollars invested, hundreds of thousands of dedicated health workers working across multiple countries. We have achieved a feat that has to be completed. So this is a moment. If there's one moment that we should double down our efforts, re-energize, strengthen our spines to finish the job, it is now. If there's ever a reason to think that in fact there is hope and there's strength in our collective efforts, it is the story of completing polio eradication.

For us in Nigeria, this is something that we've gone through and we're still at it. I remember when I was a young boy, I had friends who could not go to school. I had young men who could not play soccer because they were afflicted by polio virus. And today Nigeria had been certified wild polio virus free. Although we are dealing with outbreaks and circulating variant polio viruses but the possibility that we can have a future where our children and future generations of children can live without the threat of this virus gives a lot of reason for optimism.

We've doubled down in terms of our resources, mobilizing our communities using new tools like the novel oral polio virus vaccines as well as strategies to reach every community where we feel that in fact there are children that need to be vaccinated. Identifying them, enumerating them and vaccinating them. Thanks to the incredible partnership that exist led by WHO, but also Rotary, many bilateral partners and especially the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and so many community volunteers that we can finish this job. I would like to thank all those who have contributed to the global polio education initiative and to ask that we double down. This is not the time to falter.

This is not a time to leave hope aside. Uh we have done it with small pox and we can absolutely complete this work over the next uh couple of uh years. I I hope so. Thank you very much and I wish us a very successful uh pleasure moment. Thank you.