Ministry of health officials from Kenya, Malawi and Zambia joined more than 80 tuberculosis (TB) vaccine stakeholders, including TB survivors and representatives from civil society, technical and regulatory agencies, donors, and implementing partners to catalyze country preparedness for the introduction of novel TB vaccines, currently under clinical development, for adults and adolescents, at a workshop hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Nairobi, Kenya from 3-5 June.
The three countries are among the global frontrunners preparing for the potential rollout of a new class of TB vaccines that could transform efforts to end one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. A new TB vaccine could be licensed as early as 2029, depending on clinical trial results.
WHO estimates that over 25 years a vaccine with 50% efficacy could avert up to 76 million new TB cases, 8.5 million deaths, 42 million courses of antibiotic treatment and US$ 6.5 billion in costs faced by TB-affected households, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable.
