Vaccines: a powerful tool in the battle against tuberculosis
Researchers are well on their way to deliver a solution against the growing threat of tuberculosis. New vaccines will have significant impact on the number of cases, eventually eliminating the disease. In order to deliver these live-saving vaccines, intense collaboration and commitment are crucial. In 2011, TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI) has stepped up collaboration on all levels, through new projects, partnerships and strategies. Today the organisation launches its 2011 Annual Report.
Tuberculosis (TB) causes nearly 1.5 million deaths per year and
annually, almost 9 million new cases are detected. The disease
is often thought to be a problem of the past, or of poorer
regions, but globalisation, TB / HIV co-infection and increasing
drug-resistance make TB a growing threat globally. Europe is no
exception. In an interview in TBVI’s Annual Report Dr
Zsuzsanna Jakab, director of the WHO’s Regional Office for
Europe, warns: “TB knows no borders, which makes it a
serious threat to all countries, high burden and low burden,
rich and poor.” The situation is alarming in most of
Africa, extremely worrisome in parts of Asia and becoming more
and more serious in Europe. In 2011, the WHO rang the alarm on
the situation in the European region. Dr Jakab calls for the
allocation of more resources to the development of new drugs,
diagnostics and vaccines: “We need to find better tools to
fight TB that can rapidly and effectively control the
disease.”
Over the past years, TB vaccine research has gained incredible
momentum. Worldwide, twelve vaccine candidates are in clinical
trial, seven of which are part of TBVI’s portfolio.
Several more candidates are advancing well. “I look at
these candidates and I just enjoy their progress,” says
Georges Thiry, chair of TBVI’s Product Development Team.
“They all move nicely, and I know how much effort that
takes.”
Partnerships, intense collaboration and dedicated funding are
necessary to push these vaccines through the various stages of
development and evaluation. Over the past year, TBVI has been
able to form a new network of African and European researchers,
joined a research programme focused on new immunisation
technologies and deepened its relationship with US-based vaccine
developer Aeras. Together with globally renowned scientists, a
strategic blueprint for the next decade was launched, focusing
on research and the use of resources. Dr Jelle Thole, director
of TBVI, is happy with the developments of the past year.
“The work that has been carried out in the past year has
really brought us closer to a global partnership and I’m
proud of the achievements that came out of TBVI’s research
network.”
With the current progress in research, new tuberculosis vaccines are within reach. However, the preconditions for delivering these live-saving vaccines to the people who need them will have to be created through joined efforts by politicians, policymakers, industry and funders. Losing the current momentum should not be an option.
The full 2011 Annual Report can be found here.
TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative
