Debriefing of the DPR Korea Delegation Attended by the Officer-in-Charge, WHO SEARO

On 28 September 2026, the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office convened a final debriefing session for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPR Korea) delegation following the completion of a two-week NITAG orientation, training and field exposure programme in India. The session was attended by Nilesh Buddha, Officer-in-Charge (OIC), WHO SEARO, who welcomed the delegation's reflections and reaffirmed WHO's commitment to supporting evidence-informed immunization policies and programme strengthening in DPR Korea. The debriefing marked the culmination of a comprehensive programme that included orientation sessions at WHO SEARO, engagement with the Seventeenth SEAR-ITAG meeting, and field visits to national, state and district-level immunization and surveillance systems in India.

During the session, the delegation presented key lessons and observations gained from interactions with WHO experts, SEAR-ITAG members, national immunization authorities and frontline health workers. Participants highlighted the important role of NITAGs in providing independent, evidence-based recommendations, as well as the value of tools such as the Evidence-to-Recommendation (EtR) framework and vaccine portfolio optimization approaches in supporting policy decisions. The delegation also shared insights gained from discussions on regional immunization priorities, Immunization Agenda 2030, vaccine safety, surveillance, and national immunization strategy development.

The delegation further reflected on India's experience in implementing large-scale immunization programmes, including the use of digital platforms for programme monitoring, robust disease surveillance systems, vaccine logistics management and community engagement mechanisms.

In his closing remarks, the OIC commended the delegation's active participation throughout the programme and encouraged continued collaboration between WHO and the Government of DPR Korea to advance national and regional immunization goals. The delegation expressed appreciation to WHO SEARO, WHO country offices, the Government of India and partner institutions for the valuable learning opportunities provided. The debriefing concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen immunization programmes, promote evidence-informed decision-making and foster ongoing regional cooperation in support of public health.