On November 3, 2021, the First Panel Discussion of GHF Expert Committee on Health and Sustainability and Workshop on the Frontiers of Global Health were held in Beijing. With the theme of "Global Polio Eradication - Opportunities and Challenges", the organizing committee of the Forum invited experts and scholars to discuss the frontiers of the topic online. Wang Yu, Expert Consultant of the Forum, Zuo Shuyan, Immunization Officer of WHO China, Liang Xiaofeng, Dean of School of Public Health of Jinan University, Xu Wenbo, Director of National Institute of Viral Disease Control and Prevention of CDC, Zheng Jingshan, Director of Kanvax Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., Wang Xiaochun, Deputy Director of Center for Global Health Cooperation of CDC, Yin Zundong, Deputy Director of National Immunization Program of CDC, Xu Fujie, Deputy Director, Huan Shitong and Du Heng, Senior Program Officers of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Beijing Office, made speeches at the symposium. Luo Xiaoqin, Deputy Director of the Organizing Committee, hosted the meeting.

The First Panel Discussion of the Expert Committee on Health and Sustainability and Workshop on the Frontiers of Global Health

Polio (commonly known as poliomyelitis) is an acute intestinal infection caused by poliovirus, which was once widespread worldwide and highly infectious and disabling. The global polio eradication initiative has reached its final stage after more than 30 years of joint efforts by countries around the world. Even in this particular period of the global pandemic, polio eradication remains one of the highest priorities for global health. During his recent trip to Afghanistan, Tedros Adhanonm Ghebreyesus, Director-General of World Health Organization Desmond Tan noted that this was the best time to eradicate polio.

As a comprehensive platform focusing on the global public health field and health cause, the Global Health Forum pays close attention to the dynamics and progress of global and regional health, regularly invites experts, scholars, government officials and business managers in relevant fields to exchange and discuss priority and hot topics, share views, so as to make proposals to relevant departments, and give full play to the role of think tank.

Wang Yu, Expert Consultant of the Forum

In his speech, Wang Yu introduced the background of the topics. As the situation of wild poliovirus-endemic regions has changed, the security of the environment that has long focused on the implementation of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has improved, which increases international support for polio vaccination. The global eradication of polio has become a hot topic in global health today, and reflects the common expectations of the international community. Our public health experts who have traveled to Africa and Pakistan to participate in global polio eradication initiative have accumulated experience and should highly involve in it right now. At a time when more health resources go to the global supply and vaccination of Covid-19, how to accelerate the eradication of polio, integrate resources and gradually shift to the prevention and control of the pandemic is a strong support and impetus to fight against Covid-19.

Zuo Shuyan gave an overview on the latest progress of the global polio eradication. He pointed out that the global polio eradication is in a critical stage, and the significant decline in polio cases in Afghanistan and Pakistan is a positive trend for the eradication of the virus, but there are still considerable challenges, such as the weakened health systems affected by the Covid-19, which has resulted in low routine immunization coverage and declining population immunization levels, and led to a high incidence of circulating vaccine-derived virus type II (cVDPV2). Zuo Shuyan further explained the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)'s "Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026" launched this year. He suggested that we should also pay close attention to the prevention and control of outbreaks in neighboring countries and the risk of the emergence of vaccine-derived strains in the country, despite that China has maintained polio-free status for 21 years and has a high vaccination rate. This was followed by a discussion on the opportunities and challenges in advancing global polio eradication, where experts shared insights on reporting of wild poliovirus cases, attenuated oral vaccine, inactivated vaccine injection, and circulating epidemics of vaccine-derived strains and responses.

Group Photo

The participants also gave full recognition of the global progress in polio prevention, internal prevention and control, and foreign aid experiences, and provided constructive suggestions for global polio prevention and control. Wang Yu concluded that this workshop was the first meeting of the Expert Committee on Health and Sustainability since its establishment, and could be regarded as a milestone. The Forum will give full play to the advantages of a health think tank and put forward suggestions on the topic of "global polio eradication" after the workshop. Within the framework of the Expert Committee on Health and Sustainability, the Forum will also promote more research discussions, put forward more suggestions from Boao Health Think Tank, and promote close communication and in-depth cooperation in the global health field.