GENEVA, Switzerland: The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a new study, naming 17 pathogens, causing diseases like HIV, malaria and tuberculosis, as top priorities for new vaccine development, marking a significant step in addressing global health challenges.
This study is the first systematic ranking of endemic pathogens based on regional disease burden, antimicrobial resistance risks, and socioeconomic impacts.
The report, published in eBioMedicine, underscores the critical need for continued focus on diseases such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, which collectively account for nearly 2.5 million deaths annually.
It also draws attention to the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance, spotlighting pathogens like Group A streptococcus and Klebsiella pneumoniae as urgent targets for vaccine research.
Dr. Kate O’Brien, WHO’s Director of the Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals Department, highlighted the importance of prioritising public health over profit, saying, “Global vaccine decisions are often influenced by return on investment rather than the potential lives saved in the most vulnerable communities.” .
She added that this study uses regional expertise and data to identify vaccines that could significantly reduce disease and the medical costs burdening families and health systems.
To create the priority list, WHO gathered international and regional experts who assessed key factors for vaccine introduction. This informed a comprehensive analysis that combined expert preferences with regional pathogen data, resulting in a globally applicable list of 17 priority pathogens.
This guide aims to direct vaccine research and development (R&D), benefiting researchers, funders, manufacturers, and policymakers.
The prioritisation aligns with WHO’s Immunization Agenda 2030, which seeks to extend the benefits of life-saving vaccines to populations worldwide.
The study serves as an equitable and transparent evidence base for shaping regional and global vaccine R&D and production, focusing on diseases that place a significant burden on public health systems.
This latest initiative complements WHO’s earlier R&D Blueprint for Epidemics, which identified pathogens with potential for future global outbreaks, such as Covid-19 and SARS.
By prioritising endemic pathogens that heavily impact low- and middle-income countries, WHO aims to guide vaccine development where it is most needed, shaping future immunisation strategies and public health policies.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO) priority list pathogens that urgently require vaccine research include Group A streptococcus, Hepatitis C virus, HIV-1, and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Further vaccine development is needed for a range of pathogens, such as Cytomegalovirus, the broadly protective Influenza virus, Leishmania species, Non-typhoidal Salmonella, Norovirus, Plasmodium falciparum (the cause of malaria), Shigella species, and Staphylococcus aureus, it says.
Meanwhile, the study mentions that some pathogens are nearing regulatory approval, policy recommendations, or introduction of vaccines, including Dengue virus, Group B streptococcus, extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
The report underscores WHO’s commitment to advancing vaccine research in regions that bear the greatest public health and economic burden, providing a roadmap for future efforts in global immunisation.