Contributions of the polio network to the COVID-19 response: turning the challenge into an opportunity for polio transition

Personnel and infrastructure established through the polio eradication programme are once again proving their value during the COVID-19 pandemic as highly skilled contributors to national public health capacities. The critical role that polio assets have played in tackling multiple health emergencies and in supporting immunization activities, coupled with their contributions in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential role they can play in the recovery phase, demonstrate the urgent need for the robust and systematic implementation of transition plans to fully integrate these capabilities into national health systems to advance national and global health security.