The COVID-19 pandemic’s negative effects on Tuberculosis services, according to the World Health Organization have thrown the need for vaccine research efforts into stark relief.
At a high-level TB panel at the World Economic Forum, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, the Director General of WHO, announced the plans to create a new TB Vaccine Accelerator Council.
According to Ghebreyesus, the council will encourage high-level coordination between funders, international organizations, governments, and end users in order to identify and remove obstacles to the development of novel, effective anti-TB vaccinations.
“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. 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.”
The WHO leader noted that there are no signs that the epidemic will abate with 10.6 million individuals diagnosed with TB in 2021, and 1.6 million passed away from the disease.
The only licensed TB vaccine at the moment is Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), he said, adding that drug resistance was still a significant issue with over 500,000 individuals developing treatment-resistant TB annually.
“While it provides moderate efficacy in preventing severe forms of TB in infants and young children, it does not adequately protect adolescents and adults, who account for close to 90% of TB transmissions globally,’’ Ghebreyesus said.
He stated that a vaccination that is 50% effective in preventing disease in adults and adolescents might stop the emergence of up to 76 million new cases of tuberculosis.
“A vaccine that is 75 percent effective could avert up to 110 million new TB cases and 12.3 million deaths.”
This will also end the 6.5 billion dollars in costs, 42 million courses of antibiotic treatment, and 8.5 million fatalities from TB were borne by households afflicted, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable.
According to Ghebreyesus, the study also predicts that every dollar spent on a vaccination that is 50% effective might result in an economic return of US$7 in the form of reduced medical expenses and enhanced productivity.
He said that later in 2023, Heads of State and Government will gather for a second United Nations High Level Meeting on TB to assess progress in light of the political declaration’s pledges from 2018.
This offers a critical chance to remedy TB response missteps, including the immediate creation and distribution of new TB vaccinations.
