Speaking at the World Economic Forum on January 17, 2023, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), announced plans to establish a new Tuberculosis (TB) Vaccine Accelerator Council to respond to the increasing urgency of TB vaccine development.
Despite global efforts and numerous countries’ commitment to ending TB by 2030 in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), tuberculosis continues to increase with no signs of slowing down. WHO reports approximately 10.6 million contracted TB and 1.6 million died in 2021. Drug resistance is a continuing problem since close to half a million people develop drug-resistant TB every year.
The council will facilitate the licensing and use of effective novel TB vaccines, and in identifying and overcoming barriers to TB vaccine development. “One of the most important lessons from the response to the COVID-19 pandemic is that innovative health interventions can be delivered fast if they are prioritized politically and financed adequately”, says Dr. Ghebreyesus. “The challenges presented by TB and COVID-19 are different, but the ingredients that accelerate science, research and innovation are the same: urgent, up-front public investment, support from philanthropy, and engagement of the private sector and communities. We believe the TB field will benefit from similar high-level coordination.”
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only licensed vaccine for TB. Although found moderately effective in preventing severe TB infection among infants and young children, the vaccine does not guarantee the same protection for adolescents and adults. Recent data, however, shows 90% of global TB transmission affects adolescents and adults.
WHO in a recent study, reported that developing a new TB vaccine with about 50% efficacy in preventing TB manifestation in adolescents and adults could aid to prevent an estimated 76 million new TB cases, 8.5 million deaths, and 42 million courses of antibiotic resistance, within 25 years. Ultimately, the vaccine could also save around $6.5 billion USD in costs borne by TB-affected households.
In the latter part of 2023, heads of state and governments will convene to review updates and developments on TB. The event will cater to opportunities to overcome setbacks in TB response, which include the urgent need to develop and deliver novel TB vaccines.
To know the full story, read WHO’s press release here.
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