The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Strategic Advisory Group on Vaccine Preventable Diseases. This “Call for Experts” provides information about the Strategic Advisory Group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.
Issued on: April 4 2024
Deadline: May 17 2024
Background
The achievements reached in the Region of the Americas thanks to regular immunization programs have protected populations from a high burden of disease, deaths, lifelong sequelae, and societal disruptions in education, productivity, and other aspects of life. However, over the past 10 years, the Region has experienced a sustained overall decline in vaccine coverage against diseases such as measles, rubella, and polio putting the Americas at a high risk of outbreaks from diseases previously controlled or eliminated.
It is undeniable that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to this decline and worsened the unequal access to vaccination in the Region. Despite the efforts of national health systems to maintain essential health services there was a considerable reduction in vaccination coverage leaving millions of children unprotected and vulnerable to diseases. In 2022 some recovery in vaccination coverage was shown with the Americas reaching 83% of DTP3 coverage (third dose) compared to 81% in 2021; however, this remains far from the optimal level of 95%. Surveillance indicators are also underperforming in several countries and in specific subnational areas. At the same time, it is necessary to reaffirm political commitment in the Region and to define innovative strategies, combat misinformation and vaccine hesitancy, increase community participation and strengthen the work of immunization programs. In addition, there is an unprecedented number of new vaccines to be considered for introduction within a short timeframe.
A sustained commitment by Member States to providing high-quality immunization services to all is foundational to meet the Region’s goal of reinvigorating immunization as a public good for universal health supported by Resolution CD59.R13 of the 2021 PAHO 59th Directing Council: Reinvigorating Immunization as a Public Good for Universal Health, Resolution CSP.R13 of the 30th Pan American Sanitary Conference in 2022: Keep the Region of the Americas Free of Polio, the 2023 Nassau Declaration of CARICOM: Reinvigorating the National Immunization Programs in the Caribbean, the WHO’s Immunization Agenda 2030 and in alignment with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Functions of the Strategic Advisory Group on Vaccine Preventable Diseases
In its capacity as an advisory body to PAHO, the SAG shall have the following functions:
- To provide an independent evaluation of the scientific technical and strategic aspects of the regional immunization program of the Americas and recommend priorities to PAHO.
- To provide guidance on optimal policies, strategies and tactics to ensure the achievement of eradication or elimination goals for polio, measles, rubella, congenital rubella syndrome, neonatal tetanus, hepatitis B, cervical cancer and other vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD) that become eligible for elimination, as well as the control of all other VPD.
- To review and recommend strategies and tactics to offer all antigens to high-risk and vulnerable groups of all ages – including children, adolescents, adults, pregnant women, health workers, migrants, indigenous groups, and afro descendant populations.
- To recommend vaccine preventable disease response strategies and operations to relevant public health emergencies, concerns and priorities in the Americas.
- To provide guidance on the introduction of new vaccines and extending or adjusting the antigens and target populations for the routine vaccination schedule.
- To advise on mechanisms to facilitate engagement with political leaders, donors and partners (e.g., technical institutions, bilateral/multilateral organizations, private agencies) to advance the political and technical immunization agendas of the Americas.
- To recommend strategies to strengthen the National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAG) of the Americas.
- To review and provide recommendations for the development of the Region’s vaccine and immunization research agendas.
Operations of the Strategic Advisory Group on Vaccine Preventable Diseases
The SAG shall normally meet at least twice each year, with one in-person meeting and one virtual meeting with the working languages being English and Spanish. However, PAHO may convene additional meetings. SAG meetings may be held in person (at PAHO headquarters in or another location, as determined by PAHO) or virtually, via video or teleconference.
Who can express interest?
The Strategic Advisory Group on Vaccine Preventable Diseases will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to infectious diseases, pediatrics, vaccine program management, epidemiology, health systems strengthening, inter-programmatic interventions, demand generation and community engagement, monitoring and evaluation, research and development, VPD surveillance, vaccine safety surveillance, post-marketing surveillance, emergency response, strategic resource allocation, health economics or health ethics, behavioral change theory. Approximately 15 members may be selected.
PAHO welcomes expressions of interest from:
- Scientists, healthcare professionals, experts in public health from different fields, and health-related policy-making professionals with expertise in the following areas:
- Access to vaccines
- Vaccine introduction
- Vaccine safety (all components).
- Primary health care, social participation, and vaccination strategies
- Clinical and epidemiological management of vaccine-preventable diseases
- Monitoring and evaluation of public health interventions, with emphasis on immunization
- Economic estimates of immunization impact
- Social sciences oriented to effective social participation and mobilization to increase vaccination coverage
- Ethics, equity, human rights, and gender in public health.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the Strategic Advisory Group on Vaccine Preventable Diseases please submit the following documents by May 17, 11:59pm, Washington, D.C. time to salasdan@paho.org, ghisellmar@paho.org, bastiasmag@paho.org and torrescar@paho.org using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Strategic Advisory Group on Vaccine Preventable Diseases”:
- A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore, do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer);
- Your curriculum vitae; and
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests form for PAHO/WHO Experts (PDF, 279.47KB).
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by PAHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of PAHO SAGs must be free of any real, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the PAHO Declaration of Interests for PAHO Experts, and the selection as a member of a SAG is, amongst other things, dependent on PAHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to PAHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All SAG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions, or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for PAHO Experts. SAG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and PAHO’s Secretariat to enable PAHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant SAG. The selection of members of the SAGs will be made by PAHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations. The selection of SAG members will also take into account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by PAHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter. Appointment as a member of a SAG will be subject to the proposed member returning to PAHO the countersigned copy of this document, as well as the Declaration of Interests Form and the confidentiality undertaking mentioned above.
PAHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for PAHO's action. PAHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the SAG, disband an existing SAG or modify the work of the SAG.
PAHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
PAHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the PAHO internet.
SAG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the SAG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of SAG members to participate in SAG meetings will be covered by PAHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules, and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to salasdan@paho.org and ghisellmar@paho.org well before the applicable deadline.