GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a list of 17 pathogens responsible for widespread disease and death, including HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, for which new vaccines are urgently needed.
The list is part of the WHO’s first global effort to systematically prioritize endemic pathogens based on factors such as disease burden, antimicrobial resistance, and socioeconomic impact.
Speaking from Poland via video link, WHO vaccine specialist Mateusz Hasso-Agopsowicz emphasized the need to shift vaccine development away from commercial incentives and focus instead on addressing regional and global health priorities.
“We want to move the focus from developing vaccines for commercial returns to addressing the health needs of communities around the world,” Hasso-Agopsowicz said.
The WHO’s report reaffirms longstanding vaccine research priorities, including HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, diseases that collectively cause nearly 2.5 million deaths each year. However, the new list also includes lesser-known pathogens that are emerging as urgent threats, particularly those becoming resistant to existing antimicrobial treatments.
Among these is Group A Streptococcus, a bacteria that causes severe infections and is responsible for around 280,000 deaths annually due to rheumatic heart disease, primarily in low-income countries.
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Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterium linked to neonatal sepsis and responsible for about 40 percent of neonatal blood infections in low-income nations, is also highlighted as a priority.
WHO vaccine chief, Dr. Kate O’Brien, explained that developing vaccines for these pathogens would not only save lives but also reduce the financial burden on families and healthcare systems.
“These vaccines would significantly reduce diseases that severely impact vulnerable communities and lower the medical costs that families and health systems face,” O’Brien said in a statement.
🆕 WHO study lists top 17 endemic pathogens that regularly cause diseases in communities, for which new vaccines are urgently needed https://t.co/UgcoQzW1TJ pic.twitter.com/DBjJWrRGUF
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) November 5, 2024
The pathogens identified in the report are at various stages of vaccine development. Vaccines for diseases such as dengue and tuberculosis are nearing regulatory approval, while others, including vaccines for HIV, Group A Streptococcus, and hepatitis C, are still in the research phase.
Hasso-Agopsowicz pointed out that vaccine development has often been driven by profitability, which has led to less focus on diseases that primarily affect low-income regions.
“What typically happens is that vaccine research is influenced by the commercial potential of new vaccines. As a result, diseases that primarily affect low-income countries receive less attention,” he said.
With this new list, WHO aims to redirect research efforts to diseases with the highest health burden, ensuring that vaccine development is driven by public health needs rather than commercial interests.
