The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced plans to form a Vaccine Accelerator Council to accelerate the licensing and implementation of successful new vaccines against tuberculosis (TB).
According to the WHO, tuberculosis is the 13th biggest cause of death and the second most infectious killer after COVID-19 (above HIV/AIDS).
According to a press release released on the official WHO website, the WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, announced the formation of the TB council on Wednesday during a high-level panel at the World Economic Forum.
According to the global health organization, the new council would bring together donors, global agencies, governments, and end users to identify and overcome impediments to TB vaccine research.
The Effects of COVID-19
During his introductory remarks, Mr Ghebreyesus stated that one of the most significant lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic response is that new health treatments can be implemented quickly if they are prioritized politically and sufficiently funded.
“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; philanthropic support; and engagement of the private sector and communities,” he was quoted as saying. “We believe the TB field will benefit from similar high-level coordination,” the director general said.
While the disease is treatable and preventive, WHO said that despite global efforts to eradicate tuberculosis by 2030 and the 2018 political declaration on tuberculosis, the pandemic shows no signs of abating.
“In 2021, around 10.6 million people became ill with the illness, and 1.6 million died as a result of it. “Drug resistance remains a big issue, with about 500,000 individuals getting drug-resistant tuberculosis each year,” it noted.
Only one vaccination
The worldwide organization further said that the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, created in 1921, is the only approved TB vaccine.
It was highlighted that, while the BCG has modest efficiency in preventing severe forms of TB in newborns and young children, it does not properly protect adolescents and adults, who account for over 90% of TB transmissions globally.
It also referenced a recent WHO-commissioned research on investing in novel TB vaccines, which predicts that a vaccination that is 50% effective in preventing illness among young people and adults might save up to 76 million TB cases over a 25-year period.
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