Over more than three decades, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has brought the world to the brink of ending polio. But reaching eradication alone is not enough. Keeping the world polio-free will require sustained investment in the systems and capacities that detect, prevent, and respond to poliovirus, long after the last case is found.
That is the vision behind Sustaining a Polio-free World: A strategy for long-term success (SPW), which was presented to Member States at the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly (WHA79) in Geneva in May 2026.
A strategy built on broad consultation
The strategy is the product of a rigorous development process that began at the end of 2024, involving dedicated technical working groups with representatives from across GPEI and broader immunization and health emergency stakeholders, two rounds of extensive stakeholder review, and formal engagement with WHO Member States across its regions as well as endorsement from the Polio Oversight Board. It is a revision of the polio post-certification strategy, published in 2018, and sets out the technical standards to sustain a polio-free world in perpetuity, beginning after certification of wild poliovirus type 1 eradication and variant poliovirus type 2 elimination. The strategy is organized around three core goals: (1) protect populations, by withdrawing oral polio vaccine from use in routine immunization and ensuring strong routine immunization; (2) detect and respond, through robust surveillance and outbreak response capacity; and (3) contain polioviruses across laboratories, vaccine manufacturers and other facilities to prevent reintroduction in a polio-free world.
The SPW strategy reflects broad changes since 2018, including the development of the GPEI Polio Eradication Strategy 2022 – 2026 and its extension, new technologies (such as the novel oral polio vaccine type 2), new and updated global health frameworks, and other changes to the programmatic landscape. The strategy examines options for a future governance structure and accountability mechanisms beyond the current GPEI partnership and recommends an evolving governance model that moves from a centralized structure in the immediate term to a more decentralized structure in the longer-term, adapting to changing risks. A global cost estimate for the 10-year period of the strategy is included. To guide implementation, the strategy also introduces a roadmap for future planning efforts to provide direction on when and how decisions that are beyond the scope of the strategy will be determined.
Strong support at the Assembly
At WHA79, multiple Member States took the floor during the polio session to endorse the SPW strategy and its key themes, including the importance of integration, health systems strengthening, national ownership, and sustained financing.
Germany welcomed the strategy and urged early action, noting “We encourage Member States to use it as a practical framework to strengthen eradication efforts through robust surveillance, outbreak preparedness, resilient immunization systems, and national ownership. We urge Member States to start implementing measures now, as some processes may require significant time to establish.”
Other Member States, including Norway and Canada, underscored the strategy’s role in embedding polio essential functions within broader health systems. Meanwhile, several Member States tackling ongoing polio outbreaks, including Nigeria, the Central African Republic and Ethiopia affirmed their support to achieve and sustain a polio-free world. Partners including Gavi, Rotary International, and the United Nations Foundation highlighted the importance of transitioning and sustaining polio-funded assets, integrating essential functions into national systems, and protecting the gains achieved through the polio eradication effort. This endeavor is aligned with broader shifts in global health architecture towards greater country ownership, reduced fragmentation and strengthened impact.
From strategy to implementation
The presentation of the strategy at WHA79 marks the beginning of the implementation planning period, which will run in parallel with the final stages of eradication, as countries, regions, and global partners work together to prepare for sustaining a polio-free world.
This work is being taken forward through the GPEI and broader partners, with WHO providing coordination and management. The planning period aims to ensure that the building blocks are in place for sustaining a polio-free world. This will rely on polio essential functions — surveillance, immunization, outbreak preparedness and response, and containment — being maintained at quality in all countries.
The SPW strategy and accompanying resources are available for stakeholders to access on the GPEI website, and will be published on the WHO website in the coming months.
The message from WHA79 is clear: as we near a polio-free world, the world must be ready to move from strategy to action — and the time to prepare is now.
