Senegal Starts Development of Concept Paper
AMP and the West African Health Organization (WAHO) jointly visited Senegal’s national health authorities to start the development of a concept paper that will define the country’s future NITAG. Following the work session, a first draft of the concept paper developed by a national team was shared with WAHO and AMP for comments.
Meeting with Indonesia’s Honorable Minister of Health
SIVAC updated Indonesia’s Minister of Health, the Honorable Dr. Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih about the support AMP is providing to strengthen the Indonesian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ITAGI). During this visit, SIVAC and the ITAGI finalized the work plan describing the technical support SIVAC will provide to the ITAGI until end-2012.
Visit to Benin for assessing the Feasibility of Support to Establish a NITAG
Following an official letter from the Ministry of Health expressing its interest to establish a NITAG, WAHO and AMP visited Benin’s Honorable Minister of Health Pr Dorothée A. Kinde-Gazard and many health players to assess the feasibility of supporting the country to establish a NITAG.
SIVAC Makes Presentation at Vaccinology congress in South Africa
SIVAC participated in a plenary session on decision making for immunization policies and programs at the 2011 Vaccinology Congress, held at Hermanus, South Africa, on October 23-25. During this session, speakers presented the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (Helen Rees), NITAGs (Kamel Senouci) and the South African National Advisory Group on Immunization (Gregory Hussey).
Visit to Kazakhstan to support the finalization of the concept paper
SIVAC has met with Kazakhstan’s newly appointed state chief sanitary doctor and the director of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Services Department in Astana to discuss the steps needed before the NITAG is officially created. The concept paper was discussed with the local team and should be finalized in the coming weeks.
SIVAC Participates in WHO-EURO Workshop
Ahead of SIVAC’s collaboration with WHO for the generalization of the PAHO ProVac tools and methodologies, SIVAC participated in a workshop organized by WHO’s European Regional Office on October 25-27. Held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, the workshop dealt with the role of surveillance and cost effectiveness data for an effective and evidence-based use of vaccines against invasive bacterial disease.
