The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tuberculosis (TB) services has brought the urgency of vaccine development efforts into sharp focus.
Adding that in 2021, approximately 10.6 million people fell sick with TB, and 1.6 million died, revealing that drug-resistance continues to be a major problem with close to half a million people developing drug- resistant TB every year.
This was disclosed at a high-level panel on TB during the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, as the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced plans to establish a new TB Vaccine Accelerator Council.
The Council which will facilitate the licensing and use of effective novel TB vaccines catalysing high-level alignment between funders, global agencies, governments and end users in identifying and overcoming barriers to TB vaccine development.
World Health Organisation revealed that despite countries making bold commitments to end TB by 2030, in the Sustainable Development Goals, the WHO End TB Strategy and the 2018 political declaration on the fight against TB, the epidemic shows no sign of slowing down.
WHO Director-General, Ghebreyesus said “One of the most important lessons from the response to COVID 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 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, communities”, he added.
Meanwhile, WHO commissioned study, an investment case for new TB vaccines estimated that, over 25 years, a vaccine that is 50% effective in preventing disease between adolescents and adults.
“Could avert up to 76 million new TB cases, 8.5 million deaths, 42 million courses of antibiotic treatment and US$ 6.5 billion in costs faced by TB affected households, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable.
“And A vaccine that is 75% effective could avert up to 110 million new TB cases and 12.3 million deaths”.
The study further suggested that every US$ 1 invested in 50% effective vaccine could generate an economic return of US$ 7 in terms of averted health costs and increased productivity.
WHO further revealed that later this year, Heads of States, Governments will meet for a second United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB to review progress against commitments made in the 2018 political declaration.
“This presents an important opportunity to correct setbacks in the TB response, which includes the urgent development and delivery of new TB vaccines”.