Publications by authors named "Catherine Tencza"
Region-wide assessment of National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) using the NITAG Maturity Assessment Tool (NMAT) - Experience from the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization, 2023.
Gerald Etapelong Sume Quamrul Hasan Abigail Shefer Louise Henaff Kathleen F Cavallaro Catherine B Tencza
Vaccine
April 2024
National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) are independent bodies that help improve national immunization programmes in decision making on immunization policy. The new NITAG Maturity Assessment Tool (NMAT) provided an opportunity to conduct a region-wide assessment to improve NITAG capacity and foster institutional growth. We share experience of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) in using NMAT and the use of findings to develop improvement plans.
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- The importance of evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) for National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) is emphasized through new vaccines and global immunization programs aimed at preventing infectious diseases.
- The CDC and Task Force for Global Health (TFGH) have introduced tools like a toolkit for training NITAGs on the Evidence to Recommendations (EtR) approach and an eLearning module for members, significantly aiding Ministries of Health (MoH) in vaccine policy decisions.
- The NITAG Maturity Assessment Tool (NMAT) assesses NITAG capabilities across seven areas, and lessons learned from training across over 30 countries indicate future priorities include evaluating training impacts, adapting tools for broader use, and enhancing