2. Polio eradication
Bruce Aylward, Arnab Acharya, Sarah England, Mary Agocs, Jennifer Linkins
Conclusion: Utility of the GPGH concept
- Considering GPE as a GPGH helped understand and present the costs, financing and benefits of eradication
- GPGH concept helped develop a framework for evaluating, establishing and sustaining societal and political support for future eradication initiatives
- GPGH concept is a powerful advocacy tool
Reviewing polio eradication in the context of GPGH highlights three benefits of the concept for considering future possible GPGH:
- Considering polio eradication as a GPGH helped in the understanding and presentation of the costs, financing and benefits of eradication. The emphasis on concepts of ‘fair shares’, identification of the bearer of burden, and opportunity cost, could prove particularly useful to future initiatives.
- The GPGH concept has helped further develop the framework for evaluating, establishing and sustaining societal and political support for future eradication initiatives. This criterion is undoubtedly the least understood aspect of disease eradication and thus the area where the risk of failure is greatest. With its focus on effective collective action, the GPGH concept emphasizes the importance of the consensus building and decision-making processes, not only for launching an eradication initiative, but also for ensuring the ongoing engagement of all stakeholders. The GPG concept thus reaffirms the need for appropriate forums to negotiate and sustain societal and political engagement at all appropriate levels.
- The greatest benefit of the GPGH concept is its utility as a powerful advocacy tool. Although the term was not then coined, the non-exclusive and non-rival nature of the benefits of global polio eradication were largely responsible for the adoption of the GPEI by the WHA, and the concept of ‘fair shares’ has been central to the successful expansion of the GPEI.