On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) released, for the first time, a list of 17 pathogens urgently needing vaccine development.
The WHO stated that this initiative represents the “first global effort to prioritize endemic pathogens based on criteria such as regional disease burden, antimicrobial resistance risk, and socio-economic impact.”
During a press conference, WHO vaccine specialist Mateusz Hasso-Agopsowicz explained that these pathogens were listed “to move vaccine development beyond commercial interest and focus on regional and global health needs.”
Kate O’Brien, WHO’s Director of Immunization, emphasized that these vaccines could significantly reduce the impact of diseases that heavily affect communities today, along with the medical costs borne by families and healthcare systems.
The WHO highlighted long-term research and development priorities for vaccines, particularly against HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, which together cause around 2.5 million deaths worldwide each year.
The organization also pointed to group A streptococcus, a pathogen responsible for severe infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually, especially in low-income countries.
