The World Health Organization (WHO) publishes a new study highlighting 17 endemic pathogens urgently requiring new vaccines.
The study, released on Tuesday and featured in the journal eBioMedicine, prioritizes diseases such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, which together claim nearly 2.5 million lives annually. Despite medical advances, these diseases continue to present significant public health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
The WHO’s report marks the first global, systematic effort to prioritize endemic pathogens based on factors such as regional disease burden, antimicrobial resistance risks, and socioeconomic impacts. The study also emphasizes the need for new vaccines to address pathogens like Group A streptococcus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which are increasingly resistant to available treatments.
Focus on Equity in Vaccine Development
Dr. Kate O’Brien, Director of WHO’s Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals Department, underscores the importance of equitable vaccine development: “Too often, global vaccine decisions are driven by financial returns rather than the potential lives saved in vulnerable communities. This study uses regional expertise and data to assess vaccines that can reduce the health and economic burdens faced by these communities.”
WHO’s approach includes soliciting input from international and regional experts to identify key factors for prioritizing vaccines. Combining this feedback with regional data for each pathogen, WHO has created regional lists of vaccine priorities, which have been consolidated into a global list of 17 priority pathogens. This list is aimed at guiding global vaccine research and development (R&D) efforts to address diseases that most significantly impact public health and economies.
Supporting Global Immunization Goals
The newly identified list aligns with the Immunization Agenda 2030, a global framework that seeks to ensure access to vaccines for all, particularly in regions with high disease burdens. The list is intended to guide vaccine R&D, manufacturing, and distribution, providing clear priorities for researchers, funders, and policymakers.
“This prioritization exercise for endemic pathogens complements the WHO R&D blueprint for epidemics, which focuses on pathogens that could trigger future pandemics, such as COVID-19,” the WHO said in a statement. “By identifying these endemic pathogens, WHO aims to advance the development of vaccines that can reduce the greatest public health and socioeconomic impacts, especially in low- and middle-income countries.”
WHO’s Priority Endemic Pathogen List
The pathogens identified by the WHO are at various stages of vaccine development. Some require initial research, others need further development, and some are approaching regulatory approval or introduction. Here is the breakdown of WHO’s priority pathogens:
- Research Needed:
- Group A streptococcus
- Hepatitis C virus
- HIV-1
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Further Development Needed:
- Cytomegalovirus
- Influenza virus (broadly protective vaccine)
- Leishmania species
- Non-typhoidal Salmonella
- Norovirus
- Plasmodium falciparum (malaria)
- Shigella species
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Approaching Regulatory Approval or Introduction:
- Dengue virus
- Group B streptococcus
- Extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
The WHO’s new global priority list is designed to inform the global vaccine R&D agenda and support immunization programs, particularly in regions with the highest health needs.
