Supporting middle-income countries to improve immunisation outcomes in the Asia-Pacific region

NCIRS Australia is partnering with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in-country ministries of health and local collaborators including the Sydney Vietnam Institute to support immunisation policy and programs in Fiji, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. 

This collaboration is supporting the development of: 

• independent, sustainable and well-functioning National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) or equivalent groups that provide technical advice to governments to make locally tailored, evidence-based vaccine policy recommendations 
• functional, country-led, sustained cycles of immunisation provider education to support the safe, effective delivery of vaccines; increased vaccine demand; and a well-supported, skilled immunisation workforce.
   

Building effective, independent NITAGs

A co-designed, collaborative and needs-based approach is being employed for the vaccine policy component of this work, which has the aims of: 

• facilitating peer-to-peer exchange of knowledge, best practices and experiences among NITAGs (or equivalent groups) and their secretariats 
• strengthening the operations and decision-making processes of the Vietnam NITAG, the Timor-Leste NITAG and the Fiji Vaccine Preventable Diseases Committee (which functions as the Fiji Immunisation Technical Advisory Group [TAG]).  

Building on previous work completed in partnership with these three countries, NCIRS is further developing relationships with relevant stakeholders and supporting the consolidation of the operations and functions of the NITAGs/TAG. This is being achieved via:

• remote support 
• in-country support 
• co-designed workshops allowing two-way exchange of experiences and lessons learned
• connecting with global and regional NITAG supports
• ‘twinning’ with other NITAGs in the region. 

Enhancing NITAG capacity and supporting systematic immunisation policy-making processes – including evidence-based decision-making for new vaccine introductions and related topics – is an important aspect of this work.
 

Developing sustained cycles of immunisation provider education

The continuous immunisation provider education component of this work aims to build on existing in-country immunisation education and promote sustainability, effectiveness and country ownership. 

The approach is being tailored to specific country needs; is responsive to learners’ needs and preferences; and makes strategic, context-appropriate use of new technologies. It is aligned with relevant global and regional strategies and approaches including: 

• Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s vision and strategic direction for transforming learning and performance management for immunisation health workers 
• the World Health Organization’s Regional Framework to Shape the Health Workforce in the Western Pacific, which has the goal of transforming and strengthening the health workforce, including through institutional life-long learning and reskilling.   

Ongoing immunisation provider education is being completed in two phases: 

1. Assessment phase: Primary and secondary data are being gathered to build a greater understanding of existing provider education systems and country needs. 
2. Implementation phase: Country-specific continuing education frameworks are being developed and selected and priority components implemented. These may include: 

• reviews of/updates to immunisation manuals or handbooks 
• development of training packages, immunisation job aids and point-of-care decision tools
• recommendations on the use of e-learnings, blended learning and other modalities to reach more immunisation providers 
• promotion of the incorporation of competencies and standards relating to immunisation in job descriptions and supervisory checklists.

This two-year, three-country project in Fiji, Timor-Leste and Vietnam is being made possible through funding and support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance covering 2024–2025.