Attachments
introduction
The Regional Working Group (RWG) on Immunization Systems Strengthening (ISS), an inter-agency body that also addresses the introduction of new and underutilized vaccines (NUVs) and their impact on health systems strengthening (HSS), was established in the WHO South-East Asia Region in 2007–2008. It liaises with global and other regional immunization initiatives and serves as the main regional forum for partner and program coordination, consensus building, and monitoring of implementation of resources including through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and also provides country-specific support.
Members of the RWG meeting are the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, US Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Bank, and World Health Organization (WHO). The virtual RWG meeting was held on 22 March 2022 with the general objective of harmonizing and coordinating partner support to regional countries to revitalize routine immunization coverage in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and operationalize the strategic framework of the Southeast Asia Regional Vaccine Action Plan 2022-2030 aligned with the Immunization Agenda 2030. Specific objectives include:
➢ Support countries to plan actions to increase routine immunization coverage to pre-pandemic levels and implement catch-up vaccination activities for children who were missed out on routine immunization.
➢ Support countries to integrate COVID-19 vaccination with routine immunization activities as much as possible.
➢ Discuss and expedite the introduction of new vaccines planned for the current biennium or that were planned for 2020 and 2021 but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ➢ Discuss vaccine effectiveness at the regional level.
Vaccine Implementation Plan 2022-2026
➢ Discuss the operationalization of Gavi 5.0 strategy in the region.
