Charity calls for government funding action as poliovirus detected again in UK sewage
Howard Lake | 13 April 2026 | News
The British Polio Fellowship, a national charity supporting thousands of individuals affected by the long-term impacts of poliomyelitis, has issued an urgent warning to the UK government, criticising its decision to withdraw funding from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
The charity’s warning follows the recent detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in a London sewage sample on 26 March. This marks the tenth time poliovirus has been detected in UK sewage since 2024, with most findings linked to the Beckton Sewage Treatment Works.
Concerns over government funding withdrawal
The latest detection occurred just one week after the UK government announced the complete withdrawal of its financial support from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), an organisation it has backed since 1988.
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Kripen Dhrona, Chief Executive of the British Polio Fellowship, emphasised the seriousness of the policy decision, stating that withdrawing funding from a key eradication initiative at a time when global surveillance systems are already strained is “both concerning and potentially dangerous”.
The withdrawal comes amidst a global funding shortfall, which has already forced GPEI to reduce its 2026 budget by 30%, impacting its ability to effectively monitor and respond to outbreaks worldwide.
The consequences of inadequate funding are severe. A study published in The Lancet has warned that insufficient eradication efforts could result in up to 200,000 new cases of paralysis annually in low-income countries.
For the BPF and the people it serves, the repeated detection of poliovirus is a “clear warning that the threat has not disappeared”. The findings in London highlight the risks associated with reduced international oversight and gaps in domestic vaccination coverage.
The last case of naturally acquired polio in the UK was in 1984. The UK was declared polio-free by the World Health Organisation in 2003.
There is no cure for polio. It can only be prevented through vaccination.
International risks
The threat is not, of course, confined to the UK; similar vaccine-derived strains (originally from Nigeria) were detected in sewage across multiple European countries in late 2024 and early 2025, underlining the ongoing risk of international transmission. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even issued a Level 2 travel health notice for the UK in March 2026.
The charity’s call to action
The British Polio Fellowship is urging the UK government to take immediate action:
- Reinstate funding for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to support vaccination and global monitoring efforts.
- Increase the scope of sewage surveillance beyond the current 26 sites to improve early, nationwide detection.
- Implement targeted public health campaigns to boost vaccination rates, particularly in high-risk areas like London where uptake is lower.
Rotary’s response to the funding cut
Rotary Great Britain and Ireland also expressed its “deep concern” on learning that the UK government has decided to withdraw its financial support for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Rotary International pioneered the campaign to eradicate polio.
In a statement the organisation explained its success to date and how close the campaign is to achieving its aims:
“Alongside our partners and in collaboration with national governments including the UK, we have helped immunise more than 3 billion children against polio in 122 countries, prevented over 20 million cases of paralysis and reduced the number of polio cases by 99.9%”.
It added:
“We intend to fulfil the promise made 40 years ago, to safeguard the health of children by eradicating polio. We sincerely hope that the UK government will consider future support for this goal which is anticipated to save US$33 billion in health-related costs by the year 2100 compared to the ongoing costs of outbreak control and treatment”.
- Rotary International launches £100 million challenge to Rotary clubs to end polio (23 February 2008)
- British Polio Fellowship’s diamond ring fundraising success with jewellers F Hinds (21 November 2006)
- Lionel Blair becomes patron of British Polio Fellowship (10 April 2011)
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.