TEHRAN – The World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergency Team and Tehran University of Medical Sciences discussed ways to strengthen the capacity of the National Polio Laboratory (NPL) and the National Influenza Center (NIC), two of Iran’s main public health reference centers.
A health emergency team from the WHO Country Office in Iran visited the center on 26 November. The purpose of the visit was to review ongoing collaboration, assess operational needs, and discuss ways to strengthen testing capacity to strengthen infectious disease surveillance, the WHO website announced in a Dec. 1 press release.
For more than 40 years, WHO has provided technical and operational support to two national reference laboratories. Despite challenges in procuring specialized equipment and reagents, WHO’s continued support has enabled the laboratory to remain fully operational and able to serve the entire Iranian population.
NPL plays an important role in keeping the Islamic Republic of Iran polio-free. Although the last case of wild poliovirus reported in the country was in 2000, transmission of wild poliovirus in neighboring countries continues, and frequent cross-border population movements continue to pose a risk of virus importation.
To combat this threat, NPL is testing environmental samples, primarily from Sistan-Baluchestan province, as well as stool samples from suspected cases referred from health facilities across the country. NPL tests approximately 2,500 human stool samples annually and plays a critical role in timely detection and reporting. That capacity, in combination with routine polio vaccination, is critical to polio surveillance, national outbreak prevention, and global efforts toward polio eradication.
The NIC serves as Iran’s main reference laboratory, spearheading the detection and characterization of influenza viruses and other respiratory pathogens. From virus typing and subtyping to sequencing and strengthening national and local surveillance systems, the NIC, with operational and technical support from WHO, is generating critical data that informs national seasonal influenza vaccination policies and outbreak response efforts. It also shares data with the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) to help provide WHO recommendations on the composition of seasonal vaccines.
WHO’s continued support has enabled NIC to maintain strong diagnostic capacity and responsiveness, enabling Iran to rapidly detect and characterize emerging strains, strengthen pandemic preparedness, and better protect communities from respiratory infections.
Promoting domestic immunization capacity
With support from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi), the Vaccine Alliance, and WHO, in collaboration with Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME), we held a workshop to promote the capacity of Iran’s National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG).
The capacity-building workshop, held in Tehran from November 9 to 13, aimed to strengthen the capabilities of Iran’s National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) and ensure alignment with global standards.
Participants included Iranian NITAG members, Ministry of Health officials, experts from the Pasteur Institute, the Razi Institute, and the National Institutes of Health, as well as representatives from WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Iran, and technical experts from the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.
They participated in a series of lectures, technical discussions, group work, and case presentations aimed at promoting teamwork, supporting peer-to-peer learning, and promoting knowledge sharing.
NITAG provides independent, evidence-based recommendations to support national decisions regarding vaccine registration, distribution, and administration in Iran. It works in close collaboration with the Program of Essential Immunization (EPI) and the Department of Health to help guide vaccine rollout strategies and recommend ways to optimize routine vaccination across the life course.
Dr. Awad Mataria, Acting WHO Representative and Head of Delegation to the Islamic Republic of Iran, spoke at the opening session and said, “This workshop is an important and timely event that is fully in line with our global and regional goals. Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) delivers on our global vision of a world where everyone, everywhere, at every age, has access to the full benefits of vaccines for health and well-being.”
“A central pillar of IA2030 is strong country ownership based on solid, evidence-based decision-making. In our region, the strategic framework of IA2030 gives concrete shape to this by ensuring Member States have a functional and strong NITAG. WHO is committed to providing technical support to this process at all three levels: Headquarters, Regional Offices and Country Offices here in Tehran.”
The overall goal of the workshop was to support NITAG’s capabilities and facilitate organizational strengthening through structured training, expert guidance, and collaborative planning. This will create a well-functioning, evidence-based advisory body that will ensure more effective vaccine policy decisions, increased immunization rates, and improved overall health outcomes for the population.
As Iran’s participation in global and regional immunization dialogues increases, there is a need to strengthen the group’s technical preparedness. This workshop was an important step in providing NITAG members and partner organizations with the tools, knowledge, and collaborative experience needed to strengthen current interventions and support quality immunization decisions that improve the health of all people in the country.
MT/MG