WHO targets 17 deadly pathogens for new vaccine development

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a study identifying 17 endemic pathogens that require immediate attention for new vaccine development.

This was disclosed by the global health body in a statement on Tuesday.

The report published in BioMedicine, a medical journal by Lancet, prioritises pathogens based on regional disease burden, antimicrobial resistance risk, and socioeconomic impact.

According to the study, three diseases – HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis – claim nearly 2.5 million lives annually, reinforcing the need for continued vaccine research and development (R&D).

Need for innovative vaccines

According to the study, group A streptococcus and Klebsiella pneumoniae have emerged as high-priority pathogens requiring urgent vaccine development across all regions. The growing resistance of these pathogens to antimicrobials underscores the need for innovative solutions.

The Director of the Immunisation, Vaccines and Biologicals Department at WHO, Kate O’Brien, emphasised the importance of shifting the focus in vaccine development.

She said: “Too often global decisions on new vaccines have been solely driven by return on investment, rather than by the number of lives that could be saved in the most vulnerable communities.

“This study uses broad regional expertise and data to assess vaccines that would not only significantly reduce diseases that greatly impact communities today but also reduce the medical costs that families and health systems face.”

According to the researchers, by consulting international and regional experts, it identified key factors that inform vaccine introduction and usage decisions. These insights, combined with regional pathogen data, led to the creation of the top 10 priority pathogen lists for each region.

It further stated that the next step taken was consolidating these regional lists into a global list, resulting in 17 priority endemic pathogens in dire need of new vaccine research, development, and deployment.

This comprehensive list, they said, supports the immunisation agenda 2030, aiming to ensure universal access to vaccines that safeguard against severe diseases.

The global health body noted that the benefits of this global priority list are multifaceted as it provides an equitable and transparent evidence base for setting regional and global agendas for vaccine research, development, and manufacturing.

Additionally, the list also offers a clear direction for academics, funders, manufacturers, and countries to understand where vaccine R&D can have the most significant impact stating that it fosters global coordination, collaboration, and strategic allocation of resources to tackle pressing health concerns.

They noted that their global prioritisation exercise for endemic pathogens complements the R&D Blueprint for epidemics, which identifies priority pathogens that could cause widespread harm, such as COVID-19 and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

They noted that the R&D blueprint for epidemics is a crucial tool that helps accelerate the development of medical countermeasures, including vaccines, tests, and treatments, to combat potential health threats.

They believe that this new report’s findings will inform the global vaccine research and development agenda, focusing on priority vaccines that tackle pathogens with the most significant public health and socioeconomic 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-typhoidal Salmonella, Norovirus, Plasmodium falciparum (malaria), Shigella species, and Staphylococcus aureus, need further vaccine development.

About WHO

WHO is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health established in 1948, with the objective 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.