Polio Bulletin (Year 39, 37-38) - 21 September 2024
|
Polio Highlight GPEI Welcomes 23rd Annual Report from the Independent Monitoring BoardThe Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) welcomes the 23rd report from the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), which provides independent assessments of the program to help refine and improve the GPEI’s work. The report presents an analysis of the status of eradication efforts and suggests actions to help accelerate progress toward interruption of wild poliovirus type 1 and to stop all outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses. The IMB’s latest report notes the promising decline of types 1 and 2 variant poliovirus cases globally in the past year and the strong regional commitment to eradication throughout the Eastern Mediterranean Region. That said, the program agrees with the IMB’s assessment that progress against variant poliovirus to date is extremely fragile and variable across geographies, and that the recent rise in wild poliovirus detections in Pakistan and Afghanistan is of serious concern. The IMB also rightly recognizes the incredibly complex environments where the virus remains and the external factors impeding the program’s ability to consistently reach children in these places. The GPEI appreciates the board’s frank assessment of management and campaign quality challenges that the program is aware of and proactively working to address. As the IMB previews, the GPEI, after critical analysis and expert consultations, has decided to extend the timeline of certifying the eradication of wild polio to 2027 and certifying the elimination of type 2 variant polio to 2029. The GPEI will soon be releasing a document outlining the key tactical shifts that it will implement to enable stronger accountability and ownership across all levels of the program during this period. This also includes a more systematic approach to integrating polio activities with other health services and improving coordination with essential immunization programs to set the foundation to sustain a polio-free world. Read more here: https://polioeradication.org/news/gpei-statement-23rd-imb-report-the-long-road-to-zero/ |