TY - JOUR
T1 - The need for sustainability and alignment of future support for National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) in low and middle-income countries
AU - Howard, Natasha
AU - Bell, Sadie
AU - Walls, Helen
AU - Blanchard, Laurence
AU - Brenzel, Logan
AU - Jit, Mark
AU - Mounier-Jack, Sandra
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis. © 2018, © Natasha Howard, Sadie Bell, Helen Walls, Laurence Blanchard, Logan Brenzel, Mark Jit, and Sandra Mounier-Jack.
PY - 2018/6/3
Y1 - 2018/6/3
N2 - National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) provide independent guidance to health ministries to support evidence-based and nationally relevant immunisation decisions. We examined NITAGs' value, sustainability, and need for support in low and middle-income countries, drawing from a mixed-methods study including 130 global and national-level key informant interviews. NITAGs were particularly valued for providing independent and nationally owned evidence-based decision-making (EBDM), but needed to be integrated within national processes to effectively balance independence and influence. Participants agreed that most NITAGs, being relatively new, would need developmental and strengthening support for at least a decade. While national governments could support NITAG functioning, external support is likely needed for requisite capacity building. This might come from Gavi mechanisms and WHO, but would require alignment among stakeholders to be effective.
AB - National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) provide independent guidance to health ministries to support evidence-based and nationally relevant immunisation decisions. We examined NITAGs' value, sustainability, and need for support in low and middle-income countries, drawing from a mixed-methods study including 130 global and national-level key informant interviews. NITAGs were particularly valued for providing independent and nationally owned evidence-based decision-making (EBDM), but needed to be integrated within national processes to effectively balance independence and influence. Participants agreed that most NITAGs, being relatively new, would need developmental and strengthening support for at least a decade. While national governments could support NITAG functioning, external support is likely needed for requisite capacity building. This might come from Gavi mechanisms and WHO, but would require alignment among stakeholders to be effective.
KW - low and middle-income countries
KW - NITAGs
KW - vaccination
KW - vaccine decision-making
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85044472001&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85044472001&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/21645515.2018.1444321
DO - 10.1080/21645515.2018.1444321
M3 - Comment/debate
C2 - 29470931
AN - SCOPUS:85044472001
SN - 2164-5515
VL - 14
SP - 1539
EP - 1541
JO - Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics
JF - Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics
IS - 6
ER -