# 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.

Canonical source: https://hantatracker.fr/en/glossary/gpmb/

**Aliases**: Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, GPMB report

The **Global Preparedness Monitoring Board** (GPMB) is an **independent body of experts** set up in 2018 by the [WHO](/en/glossary/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. »

## Link with the MV Hondius episode

The [MV Hondius](/en/glossary/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](/en/articles/mv-hondius-pandemic-rehearsal-gpmb-2026-report/).