Establishment of a National Immunization Technical Advisory Group in Côte d'Ivoire: process and lessons learned

In January 2010, Côte d'Ivoire became the first GAVI-eligible country in sub-Saharan Africa to establish a National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG). The Côte d'Ivoire "National Committee of Independent Experts for Vaccination and Vaccines" (CNEIV-CI) was created to strengthen national capacity for evidence-based policy decisions with regard to immunization and vaccines. The primary reasons for success in Côte d'Ivoire were a strong political will, the availability of sufficient national expertise, a step-by-step country-driven process, and the provision of technical assistance to the Ministry of Health. The challenges included operating within the socio-political crisis, and initial reluctance from some stakeholders due to the potential overlap with other existing committees. The latter rapidly dissolved over the course of numerous meetings held with the SIVAC Initiative to clarify the mandate of a NITAG.