On the sidelines of the Fourth G20 Health Working Group meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Government of South Africa and the World Health Organization will co-host the side-event “Ensuring sustainable financing and equitable access to novel TB vaccines” on 13 June 2025.
TB remains a significant global health and development challenge. Each year, over 10 million people contract TB, and more than 1 million lose their lives to the disease. Alarmingly, at least 70% of these cases and deaths occur in G20 countries and regions. While technological innovations—such as the development of new TB vaccines—are essential to meeting global TB targets, progress has been hindered by persistent scientific hurdles and a chronic lack of investment in research and product development.
The only approved TB vaccine, Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), offers some protection for infants and young children but doesn’t adequately protect adolescents and adults—who are most likely to spread the disease. New vaccines being developed for these age groups could help stop the spread of TB and save lives, especially if they are affordable and fairly distributed around the world.
To fast-track innovation, secure investment, and ensure equitable and sustainable access to affordably priced TB vaccines, it is necessary to establish a healthy market that addresses both demand and supply challenges. Given that TB predominantly affects low- and middle-income countries, a strategic approach to market shaping is vital to maximize public health impact, while ensuring commercial viability. Although the demand for a new TB vaccine is anticipated to be high in these countries, clear national-level demand forecasts are needed to facilitate to expedite the evaluation and roll-out of existing candidates at scale and promote diversification of the TB vaccine pipeline. Supply bottlenecks may arise, as production of some vaccine candidates may rely on a single supplier. Likewise, countries may encounter challenges in introducing and rolling out novel vaccines for adolescents and adults. To ensure vaccines are available immediately after approval, coordinated efforts are needed to align demand and supply, address production capacity limitations, optimize demand signals, and promote equitable access.
To address these challenges, in February 2025, the WHO TB Vaccine Accelerator Council launched the Global Finance and Access Working Group. The Working Group’s goal is to ensure timely, equitable, and sustainably financed access to affordably priced new TB vaccines in all countries with demand based on public health needs, while fostering sustainable supply. This Working Group is co-convened by WHO, Gavi and the Government of South Africa, and brings together a diverse range of stakeholders to proactively identify potential barriers and develop financing and access solutions through coordinated efforts.
As part of the side event, the Accelerator’s Finance and Access Working Group members and key partners will discuss progress on identifying potential barriers and solutions to TB vaccine financing and access. The G20 Health Taskforce plays a key role to champion and spearhead multilateral discussions to further these efforts.
This side event aims to promote inclusive dialogue among diverse stakeholders on three key areas:
(1) Strategies to achieve equitable access to novel TB vaccines
(2) Strategies to ensure sustainable global and domestic financing mechanisms
(3) The importance of global cooperation to ensure affordable, effective vaccines are accessible to all after approval
Speakers
- Dr Sandile Buthelezi, Director General of the National Department of Health, Government of South Africa
- Ramphelane Morewane, Acting Deputy Director-General: HIV/AIDS, TB & MCWH of the National Department of Health, Governments of South Africa
- Shenaaz El-Halabi, WHO Representative to South Africa, WHO
- Prof Norbert Ndjeka, Chief Director National TB Programme, Government of South Africa
- Tara Prasad, Team Lead, Global Vaccine Access, Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, WHO
- Matteo Zignol, Unit Head, Global Programme on Tuberculosis and Lung Health, WHO
- Dominic Hein, Director of Market Shaping, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
The side event is by invitation only.