SIVAC Supports Côte d'Ivoire's NITAG

August 29, 2011

This video, presented at the Geneva Health Forum, April 19-21, 2010, focuses on the implementation of the Côte d’Ivoire National Committee of Independent Experts for Immunization and Vaccines (CNEIV-CI). The committee was established with the support of the SIVAC Initiative, implemented by AMP in partnership with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI). The SIVAC Initiative, which is funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to support the creation or strengthening of sustainable NITAGs in GAVI-eligible and middle-income countries.

The CNEIV-CI was created following recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to strengthen national capacity for evidence-based policy decisions with regard to immunization and vaccines.

Côte d’Ivoire is the first GAVI-eligible country in sub-Saharan Africa to set up such a committee. The NITAG’s role is to advise the Ministry of Health in Côte d’Ivoire on all topics related to vaccines and immunizations. This includes, for example: vaccination policies and strategies, introduction of vaccines, prioritization of new vaccines, revision of vaccine schedules, and immunization coverage.