The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a study that identifies 17 endemic pathogens that require immediate attention for the development of new vaccines.
This was revealed by the global health body in a statement on Tuesday.
The report published in BioMedicine, a Lancet medical journal, prioritizes pathogens based on regional disease burden, risk of antimicrobial resistance, and socioeconomic impact.
According to the study, three diseases (HIV, malaria and tuberculosis) claim almost 2.5 million lives annually, reinforcing the need to continue vaccine research and development (R&D).
Need for innovative vaccines
According to the study, group A streptococcus and Klebsiella pneumoniae have become high-priority pathogens requiring urgent vaccine development in all regions. The increasing resistance of these pathogens to antimicrobials highlights the need for innovative solutions.
The director of the WHO Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, Kate O'Brien, highlighted the importance of changing the approach in vaccine development.
He said: “Too often, global decisions about new vaccines have been driven solely by return on investment, and not the number of lives that could be saved in the most vulnerable communities.
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“This study uses extensive experience and regional data to evaluate vaccines that would not only significantly reduce diseases that greatly affect communities today, but also reduce the medical costs faced by families and health systems.”
According to the researchers, by consulting international and regional experts, they identified key factors influencing vaccine introduction and use decisions. These insights, combined with regional pathogen data, led to the creation of the 10 priority pathogen lists for each region.
He further stated that the next step taken was to consolidate these regional lists into a global list, resulting in 17 priority endemic pathogens that urgently need research, development and deployment of new vaccines.
This comprehensive list, they said, supports the 2030 immunization agenda, which aims to ensure universal access to vaccines that protect against serious diseases.
The global health body noted that the benefits of this list of global priorities are multifaceted, as it provides an equitable and transparent evidence base to set regional and global agendas for vaccine research, development and manufacturing.
Additionally, the list also provides clear direction for academics, funders, manufacturers and countries to understand where vaccine R&D can have the most significant impact, stating that it encourages global coordination, collaboration and strategic allocation of resources to address pressing health problems.
They noted that their global endemic pathogen prioritization exercise complements the Epidemic R&D Plan, which identifies priority pathogens that could cause widespread harm, such as COVID-19 and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
They noted that the epidemic R&D plan is a crucial tool that helps accelerate the development of medical countermeasures, including vaccines, tests and treatments, to combat potential health threats.
They believe the findings of this new report will inform the global vaccine research and development agenda, focusing on priority vaccines that address pathogens with the most significant socioeconomic and public health impact.
The study also identified certain pathogens that require vaccine research and others that need further vaccine development.
According to the global health body, group A streptococcus, hepatitis C virus, HIV-1 and Klebsiella pneumoniae are some of the pathogens that require vaccine research.
While pathogens, such as cytomegalovirus, influenza virus (broadly protective vaccine), Leishmania species, non-typhoid salmonella, norovirus, Plasmodium falciparum (malaria), Shigella species and Staphylococcus aureus, They need further vaccine development.
About WHO
WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health established in 1948, with the aim of promoting health, keeping the world safe and serving the vulnerable.
WHO's key functions include setting global health policies and standards, coordinating international health responses to emergencies, promoting health research and development, providing technical assistance to countries, and monitoring and reporting on global health trends.