Who We Are:
CDC and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative

Through partnership more can be accomplished.

In 1988, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution for the worldwide eradication of polio. It marked the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), spearheaded by national governments, CDC, Rotary International, WHO, and UNICEF, with substantial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

• CDC provides technical assistance for polio outbreak response, surveillance reviews, strategy refinement through innovative research, and vaccination campaign planning, monitoring, and evaluation. CDC also provides virological surveillance expertise (genetic fingerprinting) to investigate polio cases, identify the strain of poliovirus involved, and pinpoint genetic and transmission linkages.
• In 1985, Rotary International created PolioPlus—a program to immunize all the world's children against polio. To date, Rotary has contributed more than $1 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunize children.
• WHO, through its headquarters, regional and country offices, helps coordinate the major strategic planning, management and administrative processes. WHO collects, collates and disseminates standardized information on strategy implementation and impact, particularly in the areas of surveillance and vaccination campaigns, coordination of research, building of capacity and direct operational support to countries.
• UNICEF leads communication and social mobilization responsibilities for the GPEI. Working with partners to build community and household demand for immunization, UNICEF focuses on reaching children who are most at risk of being missed with oral polio vaccine with the support of more than 12,000 in-country social mobilizers.

Other Major Polio Partners

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• USAID
• UN Foundation

More About GPEI

Strategic Plan

GPEI coordinates worldwide partner activities to combat polio, including the development of periodic strategic plans. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative Strategic Plan 2010–2012 highlights the new tools, strategies, and tactics needed to interrupt poliovirus transmission in both polio-endemic countries and those that have re-established poliovirus transmission. The Strategic Plan provides guidance for reaching the goal of polio eradication, including

• Establishing an independent review of program milestones on a quarterly basis.
• Developing new vaccines or vaccine strategies.
• Assessing innovative approaches for reaching children previously missed by vaccination efforts because of weak operations management, lack of security, or other factors.

CDC plays a leading role in the GPEI 2010–2012 strategy by preparing quarterly risk assessments that measure progress toward meeting the major milestones outlined in the strategic plan. These reports are intended to assist the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) and other partners in guiding national polio eradication programs to meet their GPEI milestones.

GPEI's Four Pillars of Eradication

GPEI defines four pillars of polio eradication:

1. Routine immunization:
   High infant immunization coverage with four doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) in the first year of life in developing and endemic countries, and routine immunization with OPV and/or IPV elsewhere.
2. Supplementary immunization:
   Organization of “National immunization days” to provide supplementary doses of oral polio vaccine to all children less than five years of age.
3. Surveillance:
   Active surveillance for wild poliovirus through reporting and laboratory testing of all cases of acute flaccid paralysis among children less than fifteen years of age.
4. Targeted “mop-up” campaigns:
   Targeted "mop-up" campaigns once wild poliovirus transmission is limited to a specific focal area.

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