Bill Gates Says World Near Ending Polio as Funding Gap Narrows

The world is moving closer to ending polio, Bill Gates says, with new pledges announced in Abu Dhabi pushing the global campaign to within about $440 million of the funding needed to finish the job by 2029.

Gates, whose foundation is the biggest private backer of the effort, said momentum is finally aligning after years of setbacks. “We’re with a reasonable chance of success, not a guarantee, but we’re reasonably close to the end,” he said in an interview. “So the next four years of funding make a big difference.”