BERLIN, Oct 18 — Global leaders committed US$2.6 billion (RM12.3 billion) in funding at the World Health Summit today to end polio, the World Health Organisation said.

The funding will support global efforts to overcome the final hurdles to polio eradication, vaccinate 370 million children annually over the next five years and continue disease surveillance across 50 countries, the organisation said.

"The new detections of polio this year in previously polio-free countries are a stark reminder that if we do not deliver our goal of ending polio everywhere, it may resurge globally,” said WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus in a statement. — Reuters