The Ethiopian National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (E-NITAG): Establishment, Achievements and the Future

TL;DR

Ethiopia established a national advisory group for vaccines in 2016, which has improved immunization practices, especially during the pandemic.

Contribution

The paper highlights the establishment and impact of Ethiopia's NITAG and proposes strengthening it with a dedicated secretariat.

Findings

The E-NITAG has successfully provided vaccine recommendations and improved routine vaccination delivery.

An external assessment showed the E-NITAG was highly functional and critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A lack of dedicated secretariat staff limits the E-NITAG's expansion and effectiveness.

Abstract

The National Immunization Program (NIP) was introduced in Ethiopia in 1980. The NIP has expanded the number of vaccines from six to more than 14 in 2023. However, decisions on new vaccine introduction and other vaccine-related matters were not systematically deliberated nationally. Thus, the need to establish a national body to deliberate on vaccine and vaccination matters, in addition to the global immunization advisory groups, has been emphasized in the last decade. This article presents the establishment and achievements of the Ethiopian NITAG. The E-NITAG was established in 2016 and maintained its active role in providing recommendations for new vaccine introduction and improving the delivery of routine vaccines. The external assessment indicated the E-NITAG was highly functional and played a critical role in enhancing the vaccination practice in Ethiopia, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The absence of a dedicated secretariat staff was the major bottleneck to expanding the role of the E-NITAG beyond responding to MOH requests. The E-NITAG must be strengthened by establishing a secretariat that can eventually grow as an independent institution to address complex vaccine-related issues the NIP needs to address.

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