Giving Compass' Take:

• Madeleine Keck discusses Australia's commitment to help children become vaccinated against polio by pledging $15 million to GPEI.

• Why are polio vaccinations a global health issue and how can funders help achieve a polio-free future?

• Learn about the fight to eradicate polio.

The Australian Government has made a tremendous new commitment to ensure every child can live a life free from the debilitating consequences of polio: paralysis, prejudice, and pain.

Australia pledged $15 million AUD to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) at the GPEI’s polio pledging conference in Abu Dhabi. Australia’s commitment to the GPEI, a public-private partnership that works to achieve a polio-free world, helps ensure the initiative can continue its life-saving work until 2023.

Alongside Australia, partners and global health leaders together pledged $2.6 billion USD for the first phase of the GPEI’s Polio Endgame Strategy campaign — a figure set to help vaccinate 450 million children against polio each year over the next three years.

The new funding announcement comes just weeks after Australian politicians and One Last Push Parliamentary Champions gathered at Parliament House for a World Polio Day Parliamentary Reception to call on Australia to step up and help end polio for good.

Read the full article about Australia commits $15 million to combat Polio by Madeleine Keck at Global Citizen.