SIVAC Workshop
From January 21-22, 2010, members of National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) and the international immunization community met in Paris to discuss the development of the AMP SIVAC Initiative's NITAG Resource Center. The workshop’s objectives were to determine NITAG needs, to identify the most efficient ways to share information, and to establish partnerships.
Participants included representatives from countries with NITAGs (Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Romania, and Vietnam), countries seeking to establish NITAGs (Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia), WHO headquarters and regional offices (EMRO, EURO, PAHO, WPRO), technical agencies (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), West African Health Organisation, PATH), and research institutes (LSHTM, Kenya Medical Research Institute), as well as other international experts.
Participants expressed strong interest in working with SIVAC to develop the NITAG Resource Center. They emphasized the importance of close collaboration between partners to develop a knowledge network that responds to specific country needs. Several participants presented materials that could guide or support the development of the platform, including the e-support center of the PAHO ProVac Initiative, EMRO’s Regional Guide, case studies coordinated by CDC, and the future Vaccine supplement dedicated to NITAGs (a SIVAC contribution).
Working groups were established to evaluate the needs of NITAGs, which were identified as follows: best practices for NITAG creation and functioning; information on burden of disease, financing, and health economics; processes for evidenced-based decision making; new member orientation; and training in areas such as monitoring and evaluation of immunization programs, health economics analysis, crisis communication, and evidence grading.
Working groups were also formed to discuss the specifications of the NITAG Resource Center, including its name, languages, search engine, services, and content presentation.
During the panel session, participants reiterated their interest in developing and managing the resource center, and stressed the importance of collaborating with partners and NITAGs to ensure ownership and sustainability.
Moving forward, SIVAC will coordinate the development of the NITAG Resource Center based on participant recommendations.