The investment case deep dive takes a closer look at WHO’s work in polio elimination. Investing in sustaining polio essential functions presents a significant opportunity to advance global efforts to protect and provide health and well-being for all.
Over the past decades, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has built a robust infrastructure that supports critical health services beyond polio, including vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) surveillance, outbreak preparedness, emergency response, essential immunization, and primary health care.
Sustaining this technical and operational capacity is a priority for the World Health Organization (WHO). Historically, the polio eradication programme has represented around 20% of WHO’s overall budget. Over time, the GPEI has established a large-scale infrastructure and in-country capacity, especially in the African, Eastern Mediterranean, and South-East Asia Regions.
To maintain this capacity where it is still needed, and continue advancing towards stronger, more resilient and equitable health systems, sustainable financing from both domestic and external sources is essential. The Polio Transition Strategic Framework highlights the importance of domestic financing to sustain polio essential functions within national health systems, and underscores that continued political and financial commitment from Member States is a sound investment in global health. These functions will help to maintain a polio-free world as well as contribute to priorities such as emergency preparedness and the goals of the Immunization Agenda 2030.
In some fragile and conflict-affected settings, essential functions previously supported by GPEI may require continued support from external sources, including WHO, until national governments are fully ready to integrate them into their health systems. These countries are considered to be in a phase of intermediate transition – a period during which GPEI support has ended or is winding down, but national systems are not yet able to independently sustain polio essential functions without time-limited external support.At WHO, sustaining essential functions is a shared responsibility across three levels of WHO—country, regional, and headquarters—and polio transition funding needs are part of broader immunization, surveillance and emergency response strengthening efforts. This is aligned with the vision and priorities of the Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14), 2025–2028.
Since the 2022–2023 biennium, the costs of sustaining polio essential functions in countries that have transitioned from GPEI support have been integrated into the base segment of WHO’s Programme Budget. This represents a key milestone in the transition process and supports long-term sustainability by embedding polio essential functions within WHO’s broader work on immunization, disease surveillance and emergency preparedness.
Ultimately, domestic financing and national ownership are critical for long-term sustainability. WHO advocates for this model, recognizing domestic resources as the most sustainable long-term solution.
Click here for the WHO Investment case deep dive: building on polio gains