The government of Uganda committed to the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) endorsed in May 2012 at the World Health Assembly. One of the recommended actions to help achieve this GVAP goal was that “independent bodies such as national immunisation technical advisory groups (NITAGs) that can guide country policies and strategies based on local epidemiology and cost effectiveness be established or strengthened, thus reducing dependency on external bodies for policy guidance”.
NITAGs provide evidence-based recommendations to Ministry of Health, policy makers and program managers, to guide policies and formulate strategies related to vaccines and immunization policy in Uganda. Hence, they aim to promote the adoption of policies based on national priorities, help resist pressure from interest groups like pharmaceutical companies and funding agencies, reinforce the credibility of national vaccine and immunization strategies, and strengthen the ability to secure government or donor funding. NITAGs are consisted of multidisciplinary independent experts and are chaired by an expert independent of the government Immunization Program and are thus able to offer independent bias-free advice.
Uganda established its NITAG through a Ministerial Statement in December of 2014. Uganda’s NITAG is composed of eleven (11) core scientists of different specialties supported by eight (8) liaison members as listed in Annex 1. The Uganda NITAG is hosted by the Uganda National Academy of Sciences, an autonomous body of scientists, which exists to promote the acquisition, growth and effective dissemination of scientific knowledge, and to facilitate the use of science in the solution of problems of national interest.
The mandate of the UNITAG is to advice the Government of Uganda, particularly the Ministry of Health, and the general public, on all issues pertaining vaccines and immunisation in Uganda. This Position Paper is submitted in response to the invitation by the Parliamentary Committee on Health to the public to give their comments and proposals with regard to the Public Health (Amendment) Bill filed in Parliament in 2021.
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