The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF welcomed today funding agreements from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) valued at US$ 10 million to further bolster polio and measles programmes in eight countries. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the World Health Summit in Berlin.

The new funding will provide UNICEF and WHO with US$ 5 million each in response to a call for emergency action by WHO and UNICEF to avert major polio and measles epidemics. WHO and UNICEF have urged countries to prioritize vaccination for children as they rebuild their immunization systems following major global immunization disruptions caused by COVID-19. The pandemic has left millions of vulnerable children at heightened risk of preventable childhood diseases.