WHO South-East Asia Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (‎SEAR-ITAG)‎: Report of the Fifth Meeting

Overview

The fifth meeting of the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (SEAR-ITAG) was held during 25–29 August 2014 in New Delhi, India. 

Immunization-related areas are very well-funded, but almost disproportionately so by private foundations and global alliances, who increasingly wield influence on policy and strategy matters at global, regional and country levels

(1) to review the status of performance of national EPI programmes in relation to disease eradication/elimination/control targets; and

(2) to address and seek guidance on ways to effectively address the following five issues of importance to the Region:

(a) data quality and strengthening routine immunization to achieve and sustain high immunization coverage;

(b) VPD surveillance in general and sentinel surveillance for congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in particular ;

(c) applying lessons learned from implementation of health systems strengthening (HSS) activities and ways to optimize GAVI HSS implementation to strengthen immunization service delivery;

(d) identifying ways to strengthen effective vaccine management in countries; and

(e) bilateral/horizontal collaborative mechanisms between countries on group procurement to obtain better pricing and assured supply of vaccines.

The main outcomes are related to these areas, with advice for countries and stakeholders on the most appropriate way forward.