Nongovernmental private vaccination providers come from a diverse range of sectors that include both for-profit and not-for-profit civil society organizations (CSOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and faith-based organizations (FBOs), and have varying roles in the delivery of vaccination by national immunization programmes (NIPs), and in the provision of other immunization-related services, e.g. health education, advocacy, awareness raising, demand creation, resource mobilization, and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance.

This guidance note for National Immunization Programmes aims to:
1.    Present considerations regarding the involvement of nongovernmental (private) providers in vaccine delivery (including contribution to enhancing coverage and equity while maintaining delivery standards and quality), monitoring of coverage and safety, and disease surveillance;
2.    Provide recommendations to support optimal engagement of nongovernmental (private) providers in the effective delivery of national immunization programmes.
A universal standard approach to engaging the nongovernmental sector is neither realistic nor appropriate, given the varying situations in individual countries.