In 2024, the UN Foundation piloted a successful new model for the polio press fellowship first launched in 2019 with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Individual reporting grants offered fellows greater flexibility to conduct deeper reporting research in several hard-to-reach areas where polio remains a persistent threat. Seven journalists from around the world traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Pakistan to shed light on ongoing efforts to eradicate this often-overlooked disease, with stories so far published in outlets ranging from Al Jazeera to Science Africa and Taz and in multiple languages, including French and German, in addition to English.
The following journalists from around the world were selected to participate in the 2024 Polio Press Fellowship for Individual Reporting:
We asked three of our 2024 Polio Press Fellows to share their experiences reporting on polio eradication efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
Read their Stories
“Although I have been reporting now for 18 years, the 2024 Polio Press Fellowship gave me an opportunity to step away from the crazy newsroom routine and get closer to the subjects and topics I follow and write about.”
“My favorite part of the fellowship program was visiting local communities in northern and southern Nigeria to speak with polio survivors and key actors, joining vaccinators in their routine immunization drives, and witnessing the launch of polio campaigns. It was a heartwarming experience, and I learned a lot from the stories of survivors.”
“Connecting with a new cohort of journalists was the most valuable experience for me…I am grateful to have reported in Nigeria. It’s a country I’d like to continue working in, and had it not been for the support of the fellowship, it would have been really challenging to secure funding.”
“Participating in the 2024 Polio Press Fellowship has helped me get other big opportunities…I also know from this experience that there are still many stories on polio eradication in Africa that haven’t been told.”
Al Jazeera
Deutschlandfunk
ECHO Magazine
The Root Of The Science Podcast
Science Africa
StorySpotlight
Applications are now open for the 2025 Polio Press Fellowship.
