WHO South-East Asia Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (SEAR-ITAG): Report of the Seventh Meeting
New Delhi, India, 7–10 June 2016
Overview
The Seventh Meeting of the World Health Organization's South-East Asia Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (SEAR-ITAG) was held from 7 to 10 June 2016 in New Delhi, India. The SEAR-ITAG is a regional technical expert group, established by the Regional Director of the WHO South-East Asia Region, for providing advice on all aspects of prevention, control, elimination and eradication of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). It comprises experts from disciplines such as programme management, communicable disease/vaccinepreventable disease control, virology, epidemiology and immunization.
The primary objectives of this meeting were as follows:
(1) To review the performance status of national expanded programmes on immunization (EPI) in relation to disease eradication/elimination/control targets; and review the implementation of recommendations of the Sixth SEAR-ITAG Meeting of 2015.
(2) To seek the guidance of SEAR-ITAG in effectively addressing the following priority areas:
- implementation of the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP);
- mid-term review of the regional flagship programme of measles elimination and rubella/CRS control by 2020;
- implementation of the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013–2018 (outbreak response preparedness, validation of the switch from trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV) to bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV), inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) introduction, containment of polioviruses as per Global Action Plan III and legacy planning in SEA Region);
- validation of MNTE during 2016;
- vaccine quality and management;
- introduction of new and underutilized vaccines and health system strengthening for immunization outcomes.