Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has launched a global initiative aimed at eradicating polio worldwide and saving up to 370 million people from the disease. This was announced during the first global meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, held in Riyadh, to address the world's most pressing challenges, under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Saudi Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel emphasized that Saudi Arabia aims to achieve a polio-free planet, reflecting the country's clear intention to intensify its focus on this issue. Saudi Arabia is among the first Arab countries and countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region to utilize children's vaccines, including polio vaccines. The country has taken necessary measures to enhance childhood vaccination programs and has introduced several vaccines, including the polio vaccine.
Additionally, royal directives were issued to maintain children's birth certificates at the place of issuance until basic vaccinations are completed. The budget allocated for the expanded vaccination program, implemented by the Ministry of Health, increased from 120 million in 2006 to 180 million in 2007, resulting in a vaccination coverage rate for childhood diseases exceeding 96%.
Furthermore, the World Health Organization indicated that polio primarily affects "children" under the age of five, with one in every 200 cases of infection leading to severe paralysis. Approximately 5% to 10% of those paralyzed may die due to respiratory muscles ceasing to function.
