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Glossary · Institutions

GPMB

Independent body of experts created by the WHO and the World Bank in 2018. Assesses every year the world's pandemic preparedness and publishes its findings without political filter.

Also called : Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, GPMB report Institutions

The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) is an independent body of experts set up in 2018 by the WHO and the World Bank. Its raison d'être: to produce, every year, a free assessment of the world's pandemic preparedness — without the political compromises inherent to member states.

Why it exists

The GPMB was set up in the wake of the major Ebola epidemic in West Africa (2014-2016), whose slow international response exposed the blind spots of collective preparedness. The idea: have an independent panel of experts continuously assess the gap between states' diplomatic commitments and the operational reality of health systems.

The 2026 report: « A World on the Edge »

Released on 18 May 2026 at the 79th World Health Assembly (Geneva), the 2026 annual report delivers a stark assessment: infectious outbreaks are becoming more frequent and more destructive, while the collective capacity to contain them is regressing. The diagnosis hinges on four converging weaknesses:

  • inequity of access to countermeasures (vaccines, treatments) — GPMB figures: mpox vaccines took about 2 years to reach low-income countries; COVID-19 vaccines, 17 months;
  • geopolitical fragmentation that hinders multilateral action;
  • declining investment, public and private, in health security;
  • fragile surveillance systems, particularly vulnerable to budget cuts.

The GPMB co-chair, Joy Phumaphi (former Health Minister of Botswana), sums up: « If trust and cooperation continue to fracture, every country will be more exposed when the next pandemic strikes. »

The MV Hondius episode (May 2026) was released a few days from the report, making it a textbook case illustrating its recommendations. See our breakdown: MV Hondius, a pandemic dress rehearsal.

Key figures

  • 2018

    Year the GPMB was created by the WHO and the World Bank, after the major Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

    GPMB — official site

  • « A World on the Edge »

    Title of the GPMB's 2026 annual report, released on 18 May 2026 at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva. Core diagnosis: infectious outbreaks are becoming more frequent and more destructive, collective capacity is regressing.

    GPMB — 18 May 2026 announcement

  • ≈ 2 years / 17 months

    Delays flagged by the 2026 GPMB report for equitable access to countermeasures: mpox vaccines reached low-income countries about 2 years after outbreak onset; COVID-19 vaccines, 17 months.

    GPMB — 2026 report

Standards & references

Frequently asked questions

What is the GPMB?

The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board is an independent body of experts set up in 2018 by the WHO and the World Bank, after the major Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Its mission: to assess every year the world's pandemic preparedness, and publish its findings without political filter.

What does the 2026 GPMB report say?

Released on 18 May 2026 at the 79th World Health Assembly under the title « A World on the Edge », the report concludes that the world is not safer against pandemics: infectious outbreaks are becoming more frequent and more destructive, and the collective capacity to contain them is regressing. The report points to inequity of access to countermeasures, geopolitical fragmentation, declining investment and fragile surveillance systems.

Why cite the GPMB in the MV Hondius episode?

The MV Hondius episode (May 2026) was framed by Le Monde as a « dress rehearsal » for a pandemic, and published a few days from the 2026 GPMB report. The cross-reading helps locate the modest tally (12 cases, 3 deaths) within the broader diagnosis of global health preparedness.

Further reading