Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organization, revealed intentions to create a new TB Vaccine Accelerator Council on Tuesday.
Dr. Ghebreyesus highlighted that the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on tuberculosis services have brought the necessity of vaccine continued development into sharp focus. He made these remarks at a high-level session on TB at the World Economic Forum.
He claimed that by fostering high-level alignment among funders, international organizations, governments, and end consumers in identifying and removing obstacles to the advancement of a TB vaccine, the Council would make it easier for effective novel TB vaccines to be licensed and used.
According to Ghebreyesus, one of the most crucial lessons from the response to the COVID-19 pandemic is that novel health interventions can be implemented quickly if they are politically prioritized and appropriately funded.
The difficulties posed by COVID-19 and TB are distinct, but the ingredients that speed up research, scientific studies, and innovation are the same: immediate, upfront public funding; philanthropic assistance; and business sector and community engagement. We think comparable high-level coordination will be beneficial for the field of tuberculosis, he continued.
The WHO estimates that 10.6 million individuals contracted TB in 2021, of whom 1.6 million died. Drug resistance is also a significant issue, with over 500,000 new cases of drug-resistant TB occurring year.
It said that the BCG was the only TB vaccination that was still officially licensed.
While it has a modest level of effectiveness in avoiding extreme symptoms of TB in newborns and young children, it is insufficient in protecting teenagers and adults, who are responsible for over 90% of TB transmissions worldwide.
The UN organization said that later this year, Heads of State and Government will gather for a second United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB to assess progress made in relation to the political declaration of 2018’s pledges.
The gathering will offer a crucial chance to address TB response setbacks, including the urgent creation and distribution of new TB vaccinations.
