Article published in Médecine Tropicale, 2011; Volume 71; Issue 4: 363-366. The multiple public health priorities, the lack of human, financial and logistic resources, the high cost of vaccines, and the multiplicity of products and manufacturers are challenges for numerous Low- and Middle-income countries. A key element for improving routine immunization programs and for ensuring sustainable introduction of new vaccines and vaccination technologies is to ensure that these countries have access to accurate information and rely on transparent processes necessary to make evidence-based decisions. While most industrialized countries and a limited number of developing countries have formally established immunization advisory committees to provide guidance for immunization policies, most countries have not set up such bodies. These groups, often called National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs), are committees of national experts from various fields whose duty is to provide technical recommendations to national policy makers and program administrators. These recommendations should contribute to optimize immunization policies and programs based on scientific evidences and local specificities. The purposes of this article are to discuss the added value and features of NITAGs regarding the objective of improving countries’ ownership of immunization policies and programs and to describe the technical assistance provided to countries through the SIVAC Initiative of AMP (Agence de Médecine Préventive).
- decision making
- health policy
