Transition Independent Monitoring Board – GPEI
Transition Independent Monitoring Board

The Polio Transition Independent Monitoring Board (TIMB) was established at the request of the Polio Oversight Board in November 2016, for a three-year period, ending in December 2019.  Formal meetings of the Board commenced in 2017 and the board has produced six reports to date.

A new programme of work on monitoring the polio transition process has been set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the light of organisational changes and slowing of progress on interrupting poliovirus circulation. The new TIMB will be smaller in size, and more closely integrated with the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) which monitors progress in achieving polio eradication. As of December 2020, the IMB is on its 19th report.”

Polio transition planning aims to:

  • Ensure that functions needed to maintain a polio-free world after eradication are mainstreamed into ongoing public health programs
  • Ensure that the knowledge generated and lessons learned from polio eradication activities are documented and shared with other health initiatives
  • Support, where feasible, desirable and appropriate, transition capabilities and processes to assist other health priorities and ensure sustainability of the experience of the GPEI program.
Terms of reference

The Polio TIMB shall independently monitor and guide the process of transition planning, assessing the quality, sufficiency and impact of work being undertaken to achieve transition planning aims stated in the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2019-2023.

The Polio TIMB is established at the request of the Polio Oversight Board¹. The  Polio TIMB will issue reports to the Polio Oversight Board. The Polio TIMB is expected to express its own, independent view in these reports.

Specifically, the Polio TIMB shall, on a six-monthly basis:

  1. Independently evaluate how the integration of public health services is contributing to polio eradication, as well as the progress made towards achieving the three objectives of polio transition, as outlined in the Strategic Action Plan for Polio Transition:
  • Sustaining a polio free world
  • Strengthening immunisation and vaccine preventable disease surveillance
  • Strengthening outbreak preparedness and response capacity by reviewing progress made on transitioning assets, functions and funding from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to country governments and/or other health programmes, including monitoring the completeness, timely and successful implantation of country polio transition plans;
  1. Provide recommendations to governments, partners and other relevant stakeholders in polio transition planning;
  2. Assess progress towards sustaining essential functions necessary to keep the world polio-free (polio surveillance, capacity to respond to a polio outbreak, immunization with IPV, poliovirus containment);
  3. Provide advice on options for future governance of the post-certification phase.

Membership criteria

Polio Transition IMB members shall be recognised experts in at least one of the disciplines relevant to the Terms of Reference. These could be broad public health, immunisation, epidemiology, virology, behavioural science, public health programme management, health systems and Universal Health Coverage, and other relevant fields.

Members should have experience and expertise in global health and be familiar with the role of health care systems and health programmes in communities, particularly in low and middle-income countries.

Members serve in a personal capacity, not representing any institution with which they might be associated. Consideration will be given to ensuring appropriate geographical representation and gender balance.