NEWS ARCHIVES

October 2009 - SIVAC finished the collection of questionnaires for the survey to evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of establishing an Inter-Country Immunization Technical Advisory Group for West African countries. The analysis is undergoing and results should be available during November.

October 2009 - With the objective of establishing a technical resource and training platform for supporting NITAGs for making evidence based recommendations, SIVAC developed desk reviews of existing information, tools and training material for Health economic, burden of disease, supply chain management and equipment (cold chain, vehicles and other ) management and training. The results have been shared with colleagues from WHO. Documents will be finalized soon and made available on the SIVAC website.

October 2009 - To evaluate NITAGs needs for making evidence based recommendations, SIVAC is beginning in November with all WHO Regional Offices a questionnaire based survey. This survey aims at identifying the needs of NITAGs and Future NITAGs needs for material, training and tools which will be provided through the NITAG Technical Resource and Training Center. Results should be available in December 2009. The next step will be to organize a workshop in January 2010 with NITAGs members and international partners to summarize the needs, to define and to establish a partnership for the future NITAG Technical Resource and Training Center.

September 2009 - With the objective of establishing a technical resource and training platform for supporting NITAGs for making evidence based recommendations, SIVAC is conducting desk reviews of existing information, tools and training material for Health economic, burden of disease, supply chain management and equipment (cold chain, vehicles and other ) management and training. The results should be available in early October. Completed with a NITAG members needs assessment, these desk reviews will be the base of the technical description of the NITAGs technical resource and training platform which will be discussed during a workshop with partners in December 2009.

June 2009 - Dr Papa Couba Faye, from Senegal, joined the SIVAC team as the Coordinator for French speaking Africa. Dr Faye is based at the Abidjan AMP office.

May 2009 - The first face-to-face meeting of the SIVAC External Technical Advisory Panel (ETAP) was held at the Pasteur Institute of Paris, France, on May 29th. The ETAP endorsed the work plan and established recommendations for SIVAC activities.

October 2009 - SIVAC participated to the SAGE meeting in Geneva. This was the opportunity to updated international partners of the activities conducted globally and in the countries and to agree with WHO IVR team (Dr Ana Maria Henao Restrepo) on a collaboration to the "Immunization Schedules Optimization" programs. SIVAC countries will be pilot countries for using the newly evidence based methodology to establish a national immunization schedules based on both international and local data.

July 2009 - SIVAC participated to the 18th Meeting of the Technical Advisory Group on Immunization & Vaccine Preventable Diseases in the Western Pacific Region, Manila, Philippines. SIVAC and WHO confirmed their willingness to collaborate to support countries to establish or strengthen their National Independent Immunization Technical Advisory Committee.

July 2009 - SIVAC participated in the Regional Technical Advisory Group Meeting of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) in Tunis, Tunisia, and agreed to support activities in the region in collaboration with EMRO.

July 2009 - Presentation and discussion of SIVAC at the Sub-Regional Working-Group for Central and Western Africa in Douala, Cameroon.

June 2009 - Presentation of SIVAC and discussion with the ProVac initiative team at the Pan-American Health Office (PAHO) office in Washington DC, USA. Several areas of collaboration have been identified such as sharing of materials and documents, regular follow-up of activities, and joint participation in workshops.

June 2009 - SIVAC observation of the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in Atlanta, Georgia, US. SIVAC will collaborate with the ACIP secretariat and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop case studies on the establishment and functioning of Immunization and Vaccine Technical Advisory Committees.

June 2009 - Participation in the technical work group sessions for the Immunization Advisory Committees & Regulators at the New and Underutilized Vaccines Initiative (NUVI) workshop in Montreux, Switzerland. SIVAC will support the work initiated by WHO regarding improving the collaboration between National Regulatory Agencies and Immunization Advisory Committees.

May 2009 - Presentation and discussion of SIVAC at the WHO European Regional office in Copenhagen, Denmark. This included identification of and agreement on collaborative activities.

May 2009 - Participation of SIVAC in the meeting Forum on the Cofinancement of New Vaccines and sustainability in the African Region, in Dakar, Senegal.

October 2009 - SIVAC visited Cote d'Ivoire to finalize the Concept paper on the Establishment of the NITAG. The concept paper was finalized during a workshop of National experts coordinated by the Pr Dagnan. The concept paper was then transmitted to the Minister of Health through the Cabinet (Dr Felix Bledi, Deputy Head of the Cabinet). The concept paper details the future committee organization and functioning. The next step will be the development of the legal document establishing the NITAG and its signature by the Minister of Health.

October 2009 - SIVAC visited Mongolia to realize a situation analysis and to evaluate the feasibility and willingness of National Authorities to establish a NITAG. SIVAC team met WHO Country team (Dr. Sodbayar, Program officer for infectious diseases and immunization and Dr. Luo Dapeng Technical Officer), Dr Narengerel (National EPI Manager), representatives from the National Center for Communicable Diseases (Prof. Nymadawa Chairman, Dr. Munkhtsetseg, Secretary and Dr. Tsend, Member). At the end of the visit, the SIVAC team met the Vice Minister Dr. Tsolmon. The visit was quite successful as the Vice Minister of Health warmly welcomed the SIVAC Initiative and showed a strong interested in establishing a National Committee of Experts.

October 2009 - SIVAC visited Lebanon jointly with WHO (Dr Nahad Sadrazodi from EMRO and Dr Daher Daher Aden WR and Dr Ziad Mansour Medical, Officer from Country Office). The aim of the visit was to present the Initiative and to discuss with National Authorities their needs for strengthening their National Committee for Immunization. SIVAC-WHO team met Dr Randa Hamadeh (National EPI Manager) and Dr Walid Hammar (Director of Health) and various national experts. The discussion will continue with the WHO, to decide the possible inclusion of Lebanon in the SIVAC Initiative.

October 2009 - SIVAC participated with CDC GID team to a joint workshop organized by WHO SEARO to develop materials for Countries in regards of best practices of well-functioning NCIPs. SIVAC participated then to a 3 days’ workshop organized by WHO (SEARO and Country Office) aiming at ensuring that NCIP members and local partners have a general understanding of the importance and role of the Nepal NCIP in providing advice and guidance to the MoH/EPI on immunization policies, norms and practices.

September 2009 - SIVAC participated to the 10th Meeting of the European Technical Advisory Group of Experts for Immunization (ETAGE), 29-30 September 2009 in WHO EURO Copenhagen, Denmark. SIVAC and WHO EURO confirmed their collaboration in supporting the establishment and the strengthening of NITAGs in the Member States of the region. SIVAC agreed to evaluate the inclusion of Romania in the SIVAC activities and confirmed its agreement to support Kyrgyzstan to strengthen its committee.

September 2009 - SIVAC visited, in Kenya, the Ministry of Public Health Sanitation and partners (University of Nairobi and KEMRI) to follow up on the development of the concept paper for NITAG establishment.

September 2009 - The West African Health Organization (WAHO) and SIVAC are conducting jointly a survey to evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of establishing an Inter-Country Immunization Technical Advisory Group for West African countries. This survey is conducted by interviewing experts from Members States, WHO, Unicef and other regional organizations. Results should be available in October 2009.

July 2009 - Representatives of Western Africa Health Organization and SIVAC initiative met in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, to discuss feasibility and the relevance of an inter-county committee and to prepare the feasibility study.

July 2009 - Visit to Mozambique to discuss with national health authorities and partners SIVAC support for establishing a national immunization and vaccine technical advisory committee.

July 2009 - Following previous discussions, the Kenyan Ministry of Health officially requested that the SIVAC initiative support the establishment of a national immunization and vaccine technical advisory committee. The Kenyan committee is now being designed by a national team, with the support of SIVAC.

June 2009 - The SIVAC Initiative staff visited international partners and national health authorities in Nepal to discuss the support that SIVAC could bring to Nepal's currently existing National Committee on Immunization Practices.

June 2009 - Meeting with representatives of the Western African Health Organization (WAHO) in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. The purpose was to discuss technical points regarding feasibility study to assess the relevance and possibility of establishing a an inter-country immunization and vaccine technical advisory committee for Western Africa.

June 2009 - Several meetings and work sessions were conducted to support the design of a national immunization and vaccine advisory committee in Cote d'Ivoire. Currently, a national team is designing the committee with support from SIVAC.

June 2009 - Following a country visit from the SIVAC Team, Nepal, in an official letter from Minister of Health, requested SIVAC initiative to support the establishment of a national committee. This support will be provided in collaboration with WHO and CDC GID.