PHARMA JOURNAL | 01/17/2023 – 18:38
In view of the results obtained in the development of vaccines against Covid-19, the World Health Organization has launched an Accelerator Council for Vaccines against Tuberculosis with the aim of having a link that will serve to to encounter disease throughout the world.
This was stated by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhamon Ghebreyesus on Tuesday at a conference on tuberculosis developed as part of the activities of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The goal of the council will be to “coordinate actions among funders, global organizations, governments and patients to identify and overcome barriers.”
The reality the Council faces is to make viable a product for which no new vaccine has been approved for 100 years. The well-known BCG is currently the only approved serum that, while offering moderate effectiveness in preventing severe forms, offers no protection in a large number of cases. Despite this, there are currently almost 16 vaccine candidates in the development phase.
“Innovative health interventions will be given political priority and adequately funded,” says the director-general, who believes the TB area “will benefit from high-level coordination similar to that of Covid-19.”
Likewise, the highest representative of the WHO recognizes that in the case of tuberculosis it is not identical to that of Covid. “The vaccine could change the game, although it would not be enough, since there is also a need to develop diagnostic test systems or healthcare systems where tuberculosis has a high presence.”
However, a study commissioned by the WHO shows that achieving a vaccine that is 50% effective could prevent up to 76 million new cases and 8.5 million deaths, as well as 42 million antibiotic treatments. Likewise, at 75% effectiveness, the number of avoided cases would increase to 110 million and 12.3 million deaths could be avoided.
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