The effects of polio eradication efforts on health systems: a cross-country analysis using the Develop–Distort Dilemma

Daniela C Rodriguez, Abigail H Neel, Yodi Mahendradhata, Wakgari Deressa, Eme Owoaje, Oluwaseun Akinyemi, Malabika Sarker, Eric Mafuta, Shiv D Gupta, Ahmad Shah Salehi, Anika Jain, Olakunle O Alonge

Journal Article
Published: 04/21/2021
Country: Global

Vertical disease control programmes have enormous potential to benefit or weaken health systems, and it is critical to understand how programmes’ design and implementation impact the health systems and communities in which they operate. We use the Develop–Distort Dilemma (DDD) framework to understand how the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) distorted or developed local health systems. We include document review and 176 interviews with respondents at the global level and across seven fo...

Scaling up public health interventions: case study of the polio immunization program in Indonesia

Utsamani Cintyamena, Luthfi Azizatunnisa, Riris Andono Ahmad, Yodi Mahendradhata

Journal Article
Published: 03/29/2021
Country: Indonesia

Background The scaling up of public health interventions has received greater attention in recent years; however, there remains paucity of systematic investigations of the scaling up processes. We aim to investigate the overall process, actors and contexts of polio immunization scaling up in Indonesia from 1988 until 2018. Methods A mixed method study with sequential explanatory design was conducted. We carried out a quantitative survey of 323 actors involved in the polio program at national and...

Lessons learned from the polio eradication initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia: analysis of implementation barriers and strategies

Wakgari Deressa, Patrick Kayembe, Abigail H Neel, Eric Mafuta, Assefa Seme, Olakunle Alonge

Journal Article
Published: 12/18/2020
Country: Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethopia

Background Since its inception in 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has partnered with 200 countries to vaccinate over 2.5 billion children against poliomyelitis. The polio eradication approach has adapted to emerging challenges and diverse contexts. Knowledge assets gained from these experiences can inform implementation of future health programs, but only if efforts are made to systematically map barriers, identify strategies to overcome them, identify unintended consequence...

Conflict, community, and collaboration: shared implementation barriers and strategies in two polio endemic countries

Eme Owoaje, Ahmad Ohmid Rahimi, Anna Kalbarczyk, Oluwaseun Akinyemi, Michael A Peters, Olakunle O Alonge

Journal Article
Published: 12/18/2020
Country: Afghanistan, Nigeria

Background Afghanistan and Nigeria are two of the three remaining polio endemic countries. While these two countries have unique sociocultural characteristics, they share major polio risk factors. This paper describes the countries’ shared contexts and highlights important lessons on implementing polio eradication activities among hard-to-reach populations relevant for future global health programs. Methods A grey literature review of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) followed by an...

A multi-pronged scoping review approach to understanding the evolving implementation of the Smallpox and Polio eradication programs: what can other Global Health initiatives learn?

Meike Schleiff, Adetoun Olateju, Ellie Decker, Abigail H Neel, Rasheedat Oke, Michael A Peters, Aditi Rao, Olakunle O Alonge

Journal Article
Published: 12/18/2020
Country: Global

Background Previous initiatives have aimed to document the history and legacy of the Smallpox Eradication Program (SEP) and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). In this multi-pronged scoping review, we explored the evolution and learning from SEP and GPEI implementation over time at global and country levels to inform other global health programs. Methods Three related reviews of literature were conducted; we searched for documents on 1) the SEP and 2) GPEI via online database searche...

Lessons Learned from Global Polio Eradication, Part I

Journal Article
Published: 08/12/2020

Publication of this supplement was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1178578 , Teaching Global Health Leaders about the Lessons Learned from Polio Eradication). The articles have undergone the journal’s standard peer review process for supplements. The Supplement Editor declares that they have no competing interests.

What can over 30 years of efforts to eradicate polio teach us about global health?

Olakunle Alonge

Journal Article
Published: 08/12/2020
Country: Global

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) – a global effort to eradicate polio (poliovirus and its debilitating diseases, e.g. severe forms of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP)) through vaccination and active surveillance – is the largest public health initiative in recent history. Since 1988, the program has delivered hundreds of billion doses of polio vaccines and vaccinated more than 2.5 billion children globally [1]. This effort has contributed to successfully wiping out cases of wild polio...

Synthesis and translation of research and innovations from polio eradication (STRIPE): initial findings from a global mixed methods study

Olakunle Alonge, Abigail H. Neel, Anna Kalbarczyk, Michael A. Peters, Yodi Mahendradhata, Malabika Sarker, Eme Owoaje, Wakgari Deressa, Patrick K. Kayembe, Ahmad Shah Salehi, S.D. Gupta

Journal Article
Published: 08/12/2020
Country: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria

Background Lessons from polio eradication efforts and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) are useful for improving health service delivery and outcomes globally. The Synthesis and Translation of Research and Innovations from Polio Eradication (STRIPE) is a multi-phase project which aims to map, package and disseminate knowledge from polio eradication initiatives as academic and training programs. This paper discusses initial findings from the knowledge mapping around polio eradication...

Sampling method for surveying complex and multi-institutional partnerships: lessons from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative

Michael A. Peters, Wakgari Deressa, Malabika Sarker, Neeraj Sharma, Eme Owoaje, Riris Andono Ahmad, Tawab Saljuqi, Eric Mafuta, Olakunle Alonge

Journal Article
Published: 08/12/2020
Country: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria

Background Complex global initiatives, like the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), have prevented millions of paralyses and improved the health status of diverse populations. Despite the logistical challenges these initiatives must overcome at several levels, scant methods exist for systematically identifying and reaching a range of actors involved in their implementation. As a result, efforts to document the lessons learned from such initiatives are often incomplete. This paper describ...