The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) welcomes the 25th report of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), which provides an independent assessment of progress towards polio eradication and, for the first time under the IMB’s expanded mandate, of efforts to sustain a polio-free world.
The report recognizes important progress, including the interruption of circulating variant poliovirus outbreaks in five countries and accelerating progress on poliovirus containment, while highlighting the significant challenges that remain. These include continued wild poliovirus transmission in Afghanistan and Pakistan beyond the timelines set out in the currently strategy, with the epidemiological burden increasingly concentrated in Afghanistan while recognizing genuine progress in Pakistan; ongoing circulating variant poliovirus outbreaks; gaps in routine immunization and surveillance; and, the impact of a more constrained global financing environment on essential health functions.
The IMB sets out 21 recommendations aimed at accelerating progress towards eradication and strengthening the systems needed to sustain a polio-free world, with an increased emphasis on accountability, clear ownership and measurable delivery.
The GPEI thanks the IMB for its continued independent scrutiny, guidance and commitment to a polio-free world. Across the partnership, the report and its recommendations will be carefully reviewed and appropriate actions taken forward.
