New Independent Monitoring Board to assess progress towards polio-free world

A new Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) has been established to assess progress towards the attainment of a polio-free world. The new IMB was established at the request of the Executive Board (EB) and the World Health Assembly (WHA), to independently monitor and guide the work of the new Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Strategic Plan 2010-2012, providing advice on the status of Strategic Plan milestones and on corrective action plans.

The IMB, comprised of global experts from a variety of fields relevant to the work of the GPEI, will convene on a quarterly basis (beginning in December 2010) to independently evaluate progress towards each of the major ‘milestones’ of the GPEI Strategic Plan 2010-2012 as ‘on track’, ‘at risk’ or ‘missed’, on the basis of polio epidemiology, poliovirus virology, standard performance indicators and other programme data. Additionally, the IMB is expected to provide an assessment of the risks posed by existing funding gaps.

If, during its deliberations, the IMB should conclude any of the milestones or process indicators are ‘at risk’ or ‘missed’, the relevant national authorities and/or implementing/donor partners will be engaged to establish emergency corrective action plans. At subsequent meetings, the IMB will then evaluate the quality, implementation and impact of any corrective action plans.

Reports from the group’s quarterly meetings will go directly to the heads of the spearheading partner agencies - the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and UNICEF - and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and will be made public at

www.polioeradication.org

.