Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced the government will provide $50 million in a new effort by Australia to help eliminate polio.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced on Saturday the funding to be provided to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) over four years.
The money will help purchase vaccines, monitor outbreaks, and respond when and where needed.
Ms Gillard was joined by British Prime Minister David Cameron, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for the announcement on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates also joined via videolink to announce his foundation would make a fresh commitment of $US40 million.
The number of polio cases has been slashed by 99 per cent since the GPEI was first launched in 1988.
But leaders say the remaining one per cent of cases - most prevalent in India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan - will be the hardest to eradicate.
"We welcome global progress and encourage Commonwealth members to remain committed to overcome the final hurdles in polio eradication," Ms Gillard said.
The government's contribution has been warmly welcomed by groups including UNICEF Australia and Rotary International.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd was on Friday night mobbed for photographs by concert goers at Perth's Belvoir Amphitheatre, which hosted the free End of Polio concert.
Meanwhile at CHOGM, changes have been made to the line of succession to the British throne, allowing a daughter to take the throne even if she has a younger brother.
A second change will also allow anyone who marries a Catholic to stay in the royal line of succession.
