Transition for Sustaining a Polio-Free World

The Sustaining a Polio-Free World: A strategy for long-term success (SPW) defines the global technical standards for functions that are essential to achieve and maintain a polio-free world: vaccination, surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response, and poliovirus containment. The strategy includes core activities that will be needed after certification of wild poliovirus type 1 eradication and elimination of variant poliovirus type 2 to support progress toward the global certification of eradication for all types of polio.

The Polio Transition Strategic Framework offers the operational pathway to achieve the goals of the SPW strategy. It supports countries to assess readiness, plan transition, and progressively integrate polio essential functions into national health systems. This work is already underway in countries that have fully transitioned from Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) support, as well as in other polio transition priority countries. By aligning national and regional polio transition planning with SPW, the Framework enables a flexible, context-specific approach that reflects each country’s capacity and timeline for assuming responsibility for polio essential functions.

The Framework will remain relevant throughout the SPW era. By the time the SPW strategy begins, many countries will have already transitioned away from GPEI support. These countries are expected to sustain the technical standards set out in the SPW independently, with limited technical support provided by WHO and partners. Meanwhile, countries unable to fully take over polio essential functions as GPEI support to them winds down will remain in intermediate transition – a time-limited period during which external support will continue, particularly for critical functions such as surveillance. WHO and partners will continue to support these countries during  the transition process. Sustained and flexible support, paired with increasing national ownership, will be essential to protect eradication gains and secure a polio-free future.