Transition Planning

Transition planning is a critical part of preparing for the polio-free world. As we come closer to achieving eradication, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) will begin to wind down its operations, and will come to a close in the post-eradication era.

Over three decades of operation, GPEI has built significant infrastructure for disease surveillance, social mobilization, and vaccine delivery; developed in-depth knowledge and expertise; and learned valuable lessons about reaching the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations on earth.

Some of this key knowledge, infrastructure and functions of GPEI will be transitioned into ongoing health initiatives. National governments and the GPEI partners, in collaboration with other stakeholders, are working together to plan this transition process.

Why do we need to transition polio assets?

The Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategy identifies three main aims of transition planning:

Keep the world polio free

After polio has been eradicated, some activities and functions of GPEI will need to continue to make sure the world stays polio-free. These include:

• Proper containment of the virus in essential facilities so it isn’t accidentally or intentionally released
• Disease surveillance, to rapidly detect the re-emergence of the virus
• Outbreak response capabilities, for quick and effective response to any polio events
• Continued vaccination, so that people are protected in the event of an outbreak
• A governance and management structure for these ongoing essential functions

National governments and GPEI partners must plan for some essential functions and activities to be incorporated into existing public health programs in order to keep the world polio-free.

In consultation with key stakeholders, GPEI is developing a polio Post-Certification Strategy to define, at a global level, the technical standards that will be needed in order to maintain a polio-free world.

Learn more about the Post-Certification Strategy.

Transition polio assets to support other health priorities

GPEI runs an extensive infrastructure of global disease surveillance systems, vaccine supply and logistics networks, and a network of over 140 polio laboratories. It has built significant communications and capacity building expertise, and developed thousands of skilled staff and millions of community based health workers, social mobilisers, and volunteers. GPEI’s operational capacities help reach populations in areas with little to no infrastructure.

This infrastructure already goes much further than polio eradication, supporting a wide range of health initiatives like routine immunization, measles campaigns, maternal and child health programmes, humanitarian emergencies and disease outbreak, and sanitation and hygiene programmes.

The closure of GPEI presents a potential risk to these programmes, as they are vulnerable to the loss of support from the polio programme. Supported by immunization and health partners, national planning processes  are underway to ensure the transition from polio effectively and avoid any negative impact on the achievement of broader health and development goals.

Capture and transfer the lessons learned

GPEI has learned many valuable lessons on reaching hard-to-reach and high-risk populations, working in conflict affected areas, harnessing global commitment to a cause, and other challenging areas. A key component of transition planning is to capture and share these lessons for the benefit of the broader development community.

Learn more about capturing and sharing lessons learned.