New vaccine on the cards for South Africa
The Department of Health says a new vaccine could potentially help eliminate tuberculosis (TB) as a public health threat by 2030.
The Department of Health welcomed progress towards a new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine and confirmed that preparatory work is underway to ensure timely access for South Africans.
This is part of the initiative to eliminate TB as a public health threat by the year 2030.
“A vaccine that prevents TB disease in adolescents and adults will be a game-changer for TB control and elimination, both globally and here in South Africa,” said National Health spokesperson Foster Mohale.
The Department said the M72/ASOIE vaccine showed promise in phase 1 and phase 2 trials and is now in phase 3 trials in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Indonesia.
Once approved, it will be the first TB vaccine introduced in over a century.
South Africa currently has only the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, which is given to infants and children under 5 years old and offers limited protection later in life.
“Therefore, to ensure we can offer protection to South Africans at the earliest opportunity if the trial is successful, the Department of Health is proactively preparing for registration and introduction of the new vaccine,” said Mohale.
The Department has been informed by officials from the Gates Medical Research Institute and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Institute has announced that an agreement has been reached with the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, the Serum Institute of India, regarding the number of TB vaccine doses produced and sold globally.
The Department said that this agreement also provides for the progressive production by pharmaceutical partners in South Africa and Indonesia.
This is expected to boost South Africa’s economic growth.
“This is arguably a major step toward a new TB vaccine — the first significant advance since BCG more than 100 years ago,” said Mohale.
The Department of Health said it welcomes this agreement and stands ready to support the production and introduction of the M72/ASO1E vaccine in South Africa.
The Department clarified that the vaccine will be introduced once the trial results are known and the vaccine has been registered.
One of the biggest public health challenges in South Africa
The Department of Health has confirmed that tuberculosis (TB) continues to be one of the most significant public health challenges in South Africa.
The country ranks among the three lists of 30 high-burden nations for TB, HIV-associated TB (TB/HIV), and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), representing a substantial portion of the global TB epidemic.
In 2023, it was estimated that 270,000 people developed TB, including 13,000 cases (5%) of drug-resistant TB.
More than half (54%) of the notified TB patients were co-infected with HIV, underscoring the urgent need for an integrated approach to tackle both epidemics.
Although South Africa’s extensive antiretroviral therapy (ART) program has contributed to reducing TB incidence and mortality, there were still 56,000 deaths reported due to TB in 2023.
“More targeted interventions are required to close remaining gaps in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment,” said the Department of Health.
South Africa has made significant strides in controlling tuberculosis (TB). Since 2015, the incidence rate of TB has decreased by 57%, and treatment coverage has risen to 79%.
However, the number of deaths related to TB has only fallen by 16%, and more than half (56%) of households affected by TB continue to experience high costs in accessing treatment.
To accelerate progress, the National Department of Health has launched the End TB Campaign, a nationwide initiative to intensify case-finding and treatment enrollment.
The campaign seeks to test 5 million people for TB by 2025/26, expanding active case detection through community and facility-based screening.
This effort includes TB testing conducted in collaboration with the HIV Cluster, which is leading the national Close the Gap Campaign rollout.
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