The Containment Advisory Group (CAG) acts as an advisory body to the Director-General of WHO, and makes recommendations on technical issues related to the implementation of the WHO Global Action Plan for Poliovirus Containment.
Submissions on issues for the consideration of the Containment Advisory Group can be made using the CAG submission form.
Related: CAG meeting reports
The Global Commission for Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis (GCC) is an independent body that oversees the work of containment and certification. The GCC oversees the process for certifying the world as polio-free, reviews reports of the Regional Certification Commissions and will ultimately issue a report to the WHO Director-General to certify that the circulation of wild polioviruses has been interrupted globally. The GCC, supported by the Containment Working Group, also provides oversight to poliovirus containment activities, and the certification process for facilities that will retain polioviruses after eradication.
Types 2 and 3 wild polioviruses were declared eradicated in September 2015 and October 2019, respectively. Only type 1 wild poliovirus remains circulating.
The Regional Certification Commissions (RCCs) independently verify polio eradication for their regions and provide polio eradication reports to the GCC.
Related: GCC meeting reports
Related: RCC meeting reports
The Containment Working Group (CWG), under the Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (GCC), reviews the national containment certification of poliovirus-essential facilities (PEFs) and makes recommendations to the GCC. Its aim is to provide the required level of assurance that WHO Global Action Plan for Poliovirus Containment requirements are appropriately identified, implemented and monitored, following the Containment Certification Scheme (CCS).
The Containment Working Group of the GCC holds annual meetings with National Authorities for Containment, who oversee domestic containment certification processes. These meetings provide a platform for networking, sharing challenges and best practices, and identifying strategies to advance containment certification efforts.
Related: GCC meeting reports