This study is the first global effort to systematically prioritize circulating pathogens based on their regional and global health impact.
It reaffirm long-term priorities for vaccine research and development (R&D), including for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis – The three diseases cause nearly 2.5 million deaths each year.
Attention is also being paid to pathogens such as group A streptococcus, which causes severe infections and contributes to 280,000 deaths from rheumatic diseases, mainly in low-income countries.
Another new priority is Klebsiella pneumoniae – a type of bacteria that is related to 790,000 deaths in 2019 and is responsible for 40% of neonatal deaths due to blood infection (sepsis) in low-income countries.
Focus on needs, not profits
This new research supports the goal of ensuring that everyone, everywhere, can benefit from vaccines that protect against serious diseases.
It aims to shift the focus of vaccine development from commercial profits to regional and global health needs, it said. WHOby Dr. Mateusz Hasso-Agopsowicz, who works in vaccine research.
He explained that in the past, vaccine R&D was often driven by profits. As a result, Diseases that severely impact low-income areas receive little attention.
“We hope this represents one important shift as we shift the focus from the commercial profitability of new vaccines to the actual health burden so that research and development of new vaccines is driven by health burdens and not just commercial opportunities,” he said from Poland.
Advice from experts
To conduct the study, WHO asked international and regional experts what they thought was important when prioritizing pathogens for vaccine R&D. Criteria include mortality, morbidity, and socioeconomic impact or antibiotic resistance.
“We asked experts with expertise in pathogen epidemiology, clinicians, pediatricians, vaccine experts from all WHO regions, to ensure that the list and results that we offer, they truly reflect the needs of diverse populations around the world,” said Dr. Hasso-Agopsowicz.
Analysis of those priorities, combined with regional data for each pathogen, created the top 10 priority pathogens for each of six WHO regions globally.
The regional lists were then merged to form the global list, resulting in 17 priority circulating pathogens requiring new vaccines.
To promote vaccine R&D, WHO has classified each pathogen based on its stage of vaccine development and the technical challenges involved in creating an effective vaccine.
Dr. Hasso-Agopsowicz said this study is expected to guide future investments in vaccine R&D, including by sponsors, vaccine researchers and developers, and other stakeholders. policy makers because they “can decide whether these vaccines should be included in vaccination programmes”.
