The Global roadmap for research and development of tuberculosis (TB) vaccines identifies a set of priorities to coordinate global action to accelerate the development and implementation of new TB vaccines.
Responsible for more than 1.4 million deaths a year, TB is a major global public health challenge. Ambitious global TB control goals have been established, but it is widely recognised that these will not be achieved without safe and effective vaccines.
WHO has identified a need for three distinct types of TB vaccine:
TB is a disease of poverty and is found primarily in low- and middle-income countries. Despite the huge global burden of disease, there is little commercial incentive to develop new TB vaccines – no new vaccine has been introduced since BCG in the 1920s. Addressing
this gap will require coordinated cross-sectoral partnerships and a focus on “end-to-end” clinical development, from early-stage discovery research through to programmatic implementation.
This roadmap has been developed through an iterative global consultative process designed to identify the key barriers to TB vaccine R&D and implementation, and potential ways in which they might be overcome. It is intended to provide a shared set of priorities to guide the activities of all stakeholders with an interest in TB vaccine development and use.
The roadmap consultation identified three priority areas:
Three cross-cutting enablers were also identified: funding, open science and stakeholder engagement.
