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.

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.

Strengthening National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups in resource-limited settings: current and potential linkages with polio national certification committees.

Background: Countries are transitioning assets and functions from polio eradication to integrated immunization and surveillance activities. We assessed the extent of linkages between and perceptions of National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) and National Certification Committees (NCCs) for polio eradication to understand how linkages can be leveraged to improve efficiencies of these expert bodies.

Methods: During May 2017 to May 2018, we administered a 15-question survey to a NITAG chair or member and an NCC counterpart in all countries of the WHO Regions for Africa (AFR) and for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMR) that had both a NITAG and an NCC.

Building immunization decision-making capacity within the World Health Organization European Region.

A National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) is a multi-disciplinary body of national experts that provides evidence-based recommendations to policy-makers, assisting them in making sound immunization policy and programme decisions. The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe is working to strengthen the capacity of newly-established NITAGs and has targeted efforts on low- and middle-income countries. The Regional Office, in collaboration with WHO Headquarters and USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), developed a new training strategy and held training workshops to improve NITAGs' functioning and ability to make evidence-based recommendations.

Demonstration of the Use of Remote Temperature Monitoring Devices in Vaccine Refrigerators in Haiti.

After the 2010 earthquake, Haiti committed to introducing 4 new antigens into its routine immunization schedule, which required improving its cold chain (ie, temperature-controlled supply chain) and increasing vaccine storage capacity by installing new refrigerators. We tested the feasibility of using remote temperature monitoring devices (RTMDs) in Haiti in a sample of vaccine refrigerators fueled by solar panels, propane gas, or electricity. We analyzed data from 16 RTMDs monitoring 24 refrigerators in 15 sites from March through August 2014.

Expansion of Vaccination Services and Strengthening Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Surveillance in Haiti, 2010-2016.

Following the 2010 earthquake, Haiti was at heightened risk for vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) outbreaks due to the exacerbation of long-standing gaps in the vaccination program and subsequent risk of VPD importation from other countries. Therefore, partners supported the Haitian Ministry of Health and Population to improve vaccination services and VPD surveillance. During 2010-2016, three polio, measles, and rubella vaccination campaigns were implemented, achieving a coverage > 90% among children and maintaining Haiti free of those VPDs.

Strengthening laboratory capacity through the surveillance of rotavirus gastroenteritis in Central Africa: the Surveillance Épidémiologique en Afrique Centrale (SURVAC) Project.

Objectives: The goal of the SURVAC pilot project was to strengthen disease surveillance and response in three countries; Cameroon (CAE), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Central African Republic (CAR).

Methods: Seven laboratories involved in rotavirus surveillance were provided with equipment, reagents and supplies. CDC and WHO staff provided on-site classroom and bench training in biosafety, quality assurance, quality control (QC), rotavirus diagnosis using Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) and genotyping of rotavirus strains using the Reverse Transcription Polymerase-chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Expansion of syndromic vaccine preventable disease surveillance to include bacterial meningitis and Japanese encephalitis: evaluation of adapting polio and measles laboratory networks in Bangladesh, China and India, 2007-2008.

Background: Surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis with laboratory confirmation has been a key strategy in the global polio eradication initiative, and the laboratory platform established for polio testing has been expanded in many countries to include surveillance for cases of febrile rash illness to identify measles and rubella cases. Vaccine-preventable disease surveillance is essential to detect outbreaks, define disease burden, guide vaccination strategies and assess immunization impact. Vaccines now exist to prevent Japanese encephalitis (JE) and some etiologies of bacterial meningitis.

Molecular surveillance of rotavirus strains circulating in Yaoundé, Cameroon, September 2007-December 2012.

Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrheal disease in children under 5 years of age worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 453,000 rotavirus-attributable deaths occur annually. Through the WHO, the Rotavirus Sentinel Surveillance Program was established in Cameroon in September 2007 with the Mother and Child Center (MCC) in Yaoundé playing the role of sentinel site and national laboratory for this program.

Molecular surveillance of rotavirus infection in Bangui, Central African Republic, October 2011-September 2013.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the introduction of rotavirus vaccine in the immunization program of all countries. In the Central African Republic (CAR), sentinel surveillance for rotavirus gastroenteritis was established in 2011 by the Ministry of Health, with the support of the Surveillance en Afrique Centrale Project (SURVAC). The purpose of this study was to assess the burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis and to identify rotavirus strains circulating in CAR before the introduction of rotavirus vaccine planned for this year, 2014.

Measles and rubella vaccination coverage in Haiti, 2012: progress towards verifying and challenges to maintaining measles and rubella elimination.

Objectives: We conducted a nationwide survey to assess measles containing vaccine (MCV) coverage among children aged 1-9 years in Haiti and identify factors associated with vaccination before and during the 2012 nationwide supplementary immunisation activities (SIA).

Methods: Haiti was stratified into five geographic regions (Metropolitan Port-au-Prince, North, Centre, South and West), 40 clusters were randomly selected in each region, and 35 households were selected per cluster.

Results: Among the 7000 visited households, 75.

Evaluation of three commercially available Japanese encephalitis virus IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

We evaluated performance of three commercial Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) IgM antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MAC ELISA) kits with a panel of serological specimens collected during a surveillance project of acute encephalitis syndrome in India and acute meningitis and encephalitis syndrome in Bangladesh. The serum and cerebral spinal fluid specimens had been referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for confirmatory testing. The CDC results and specimen classifications were considered the reference standard.

Experimental evaluation of rodent exclusion methods to reduce hantavirus transmission to residents in a Native American community in New Mexico.

We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the efficacy of rodent proofing continuously occupied homes as a method for lowering the risk for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) among residents of a Native American community in northwestern New Mexico. Rodent proofing of dwellings was paired with culturally appropriate health education. Seventy homes were randomly assigned to treatment or control categories.