Bill Gates warns: No place in this world is risk-free until …

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has once again issued a stark health warning. Gates emphasise that despite the monumental progress in the fight against polio, the world remains vulnerable until the disease is completely eradicated.

Speaking at the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers event, Bates stressed on the fact that a critical funding shortfall could jeopardise decades of global health gains. “We’re closer than ever to total polio eradication,” Gates said. “But the last mile is proving the hardest because viruses exploit any immunity gaps.”

Polio cases drop 99.9%, but risks remain

Since 1988, global polio cases have by 99.9%, and Africa has been certified free of wild poliovirus.

However, the Type 1 transmission still persists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and variant outbreaks—caused by mutated vaccine strains in under-immunized communities—continue to surface in countries like the U.S. and U.K.Gates also praised the deployment of nearly two billion doses of the new nOPV2 vaccine and the expansion of rapid detection labs in Africa, which give health workers a crucial head start in containing outbreaks.

Funding gaps threaten global health progress

Gates also voiced his opinion over the declining global health aid, which has dropped by 21% since 2024. I am not capable of making up what the government cuts,” he said, urging renewed commitments from world leaders.

In recent months, Gates has pledged:

These efforts mirror the Gates Foundation’s HIV prevention model, which works with manufacturers to deliver affordable treatments to underserved populations.Gates’ message is quite clear, the fight against polio is not over and complacency could reverse hard-won victories. “No place is risk-free until the world-free until the world is polio-free,” said Gates. He also urged the governments, health organisations and private partners to close deadly immunity gaps.