Double Good News for Polio Efforts. The Polio Oversight Board (POB) has selected Mike McGovern, Rotary's representative to the POB, to be its new Chair. This appointment underscores Rotary's vital contribution to global polio eradication efforts.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative has a governance structure in which all six partners (Rotary, WHO, UNICEF, US CDC, the Gates Foundation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance) and select donors are represented. The POB, the highest-level governing body of the GPEI, comprises high-level representatives from all GPEI partners and includes a donor constituency seat and a sovereign donor seat. As noted, IPPC Chair Mike represents Rotary on the POB. The POB has been chaired by representatives from WHO, the US CDC, and currently the Gates Foundation. Effective 31 December 2025, Christopher Elias of the Gates Foundation will step down as chair, and IPPC Chair Mike McGovern will assume the role from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027.
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The POB Chair’s responsibilities typically included convening POB meetings; engaging with members of the GPEI governance structure and advisory bodies, and donors; representing the GPEI at global and regional meetings; conducting high-level visits to polio-affected countries; among other duties.
Please join me in congratulating and thanking Mike for taking on this new role and for his unwavering dedication to creating a polio-free world.
Secondly, a global pledging event was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The event "Investing in Humanity: Uniting to End Polio", was hosted by the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity in partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. International Leaders, philanthropists and global health leaders announced a pledge of US1.9 Billion to advance polio eradication.
Read more about it at https://polioeradication.org/.../global-leaders-pledge.../