Your Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Bill Gates,
Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear colleagues and friends,
I thank the UAE and the Mohamed bin Zayed 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 – wild poliovirus is endemic in only two countries, and fewer than 50 children worldwide have been paralysed this year.
This is one of the greatest global public health achievements of our lifetime.
It is a shared achievement, between governments who brought leadership and commitment;
Health workers who crossed 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;
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.
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 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 the political will and the financial commitment.
This is why today’s pledging moment is so important.
Your contributions are not simply numbers – they are an investment in children’s futures, in stronger health systems, and in global security.
They are 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 are living in a moment of profound challenges for development and global health.
Since 2023, the world has lost more than 60 billion dollars 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 wellbeing.
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 – 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.
I thank you. Shukran jazeelan.