Dr. Deepa Gamage is a Consultant Medical Epidemiologist, for the Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka since 2009. She is the Convener of National Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (NACCD), since 2014, which function as the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NITAG) in Sri Lanka.
As the Convener for NITAG, she is responsible for convening regular quarterly meetings, compiling NACCD (NITAG) meeting minutes and follow up with implementation of relevant decisions on Immunization related activities in coordination with Chief Epidemiologist and Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health. Further, she is responsible in facilitating the appointment of specific vaccine related expert working groups, conduct of specific vaccine Expert Working Groups in evidence identification, facilitating evidence reviewing and follow up with forwarding evidence based recommendations for decisions to NACCD (NITAG).
She is also the National focal point for Eradication and elimination of vaccine preventable diseases of Polio Eradication Programme, Measles, Rubella, CRS elimination programmes in the country.
Dr. Gamage has experience in supporting other countries such as Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia, Timor Leste, and Pakistan in EPI and VPD related activities. She is a members of the UNICEF SD/ GAVI - IPV Procurement Reference Group (PRG-IPV) for procurement of Inactivated Polio Vaccines for2019-22, member of HPV vaccine -Working Group for Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE-WG HPV vaccine) for 2018-2020 and Member of Measles-Rubella Vaccine-Working Group for SAGE on Immunization (SAGE-WG Measles-Rubella vaccine) for 2019-2021.
