The History of CORE Group Partners Project

The CORE Group Partners Project (CGPP), formerly the CORE Group Polio Project, started in 1999 to bridge the gap between large international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and communities working to combat the detrimental effects of polio. After making his mark on the eradication of smallpox and Guinea worm, David Newberry embraced the challenge to defeat polio. He traveled to polio-priority countries including Angola, India, Ethiopia, Uganda, Bangladesh, and Nepal, assessing the need and feasibility of developing CGPP programs. CORE Group had previously established guiding principles to ensure that NGOs would work cooperatively in high-risk locations that would most benefit from CGPP’s engagement.

With more than 40 years of public health experience, including work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and CARE, David became the first director of the project in 1999. He was the driving force behind engaging civil society, particularly the non-governmental organization community, by launching community-based polio eradication efforts through the development of secretariat teams in focal countries.

“He was enthusiastic and optimistic but saw things for what they were, and he didn’t hesitate to confront problems head on,” said Ellyn Ogden. “He pulled this together and got us over the initial bumps when everybody was skeptical that the project had merit.” Even after officially leaving the project, David returned to continue steering the formation of project teams in South Sudan and Nigeria.

Over time, the project expanded its geographic reach and technical scope. From its early focus on polio eradication, CGPP has evolved into a multi-country initiative supporting integrated health programs. Since then, the project has expanded into more countries, while currently implementing in 15. In 2018, the project broadened its work to include global health security, strengthening community-based surveillance and cross-border preparedness. More recently, in 2026, CGPP further expanded its technical areas to include maternal and child health, nutrition, and malaria. CGPP initially worked in eight countries in 2025 and has since expanded to an additional seven countries, five in Asia including Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, and Myanmar; one in Africa, Senegal; and one in South America, Peru.

Today, the project continues to serve as a trusted leader in cross-border, community-based human and animal disease prevention, detection, and response across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, contributing to broader America First Global Health Security initiative.

Voices from the Community

Across countries, CGPP’s impact is reflected in the voices of those it serves:

In Uganda, Majok Deng explained:

“I was convinced by someone who spoke my language that vaccines were important… Because of that, I decided to have all my children vaccinated.”

In South Sudan, Natabo reflected:

“If the COVID vaccine was not brought to us, no one would have got it.”

In Nigeria, Malam Barinje noted:

“Now we are armed with knowledge that helps us reduce risks from zoonotic diseases.”

In India, Rita Rani shared:

“During the pandemic, CGPP trained me on the symptoms of COVID and preventive measures… I feel confident conducting communication sessions with pregnant women, mothers with newborns, and refusal families.”