• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • News
    • World Immunization Week

    Delivering the next generation of vaccines

    Immunization saves millions of lives annually. But to continue successful treatments, the global health sector must expand the R&D agenda to fund the next generation of lifesaving vaccines. Cecile Vernant of DSW offers three ways to harness the latent potential in vaccine research.

    By Cécile Vernant // 29 April 2016
    A syringe and vial of MenAfriVac during an immunization campaign in Burkina Faso. The global health sector must expand the research and development agenda to fund the next generation of life-saving vaccines. Photo by: WHO / PATH / CC BY

    Immunization is one of the most successful and cost-effective global health policies. It averts 2 million to 3 million deaths annually. An additional 1.5 million deaths could be avoided if global use of current vaccines expanded. But this potential impact only accounts for the diseases that have accessible and effective vaccines.

    People at risk of contracting malaria, HIV and AIDS and other diseases of poverty have no recourse to vaccines; or, in the case of tuberculosis, are forced to use a vaccine that is no longer fit for purpose.

    If we are serious about ending these diseases by 2030, then we will need new and innovative vaccines. As we mark World Immunization Week, we need to figure out how we can move forward and expand the research and development agenda in order to stimulate the next generation of lifesaving vaccines.

    Research funding stagnating since 2008

    Research into effective vaccines for HIV and AIDS and malaria is challenging, given the complex biology of the respective diseases. Both diseases, however, have seen candidate vaccines reach the late stage of clinical trial. A 2009 trial on a potential HIV vaccine demonstrated a 30 percent efficacy rate; the malaria vaccine RTS,S showed a 36 percent and 26 percent decrease in clinical malaria cases in children and infants respectively over 3-4 years of follow up.

    There are more candidate vaccines in development for both diseases at an earlier stage in the development cycle. Vaccines for both could be transformative. The World Health Organization recognizes that a malaria vaccine could be a game changer in global health. It is estimated, according to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, that an AIDS vaccine could avert between 5.2 million and 10.7 million new HIV infections between 2020 and 2030. Even a preventive AIDS vaccine of just 50 percent efficacy given to 30 percent of the population in low- and middle- income countries could avert almost 20 percent of all infections.

    However, funding for both diseases has yet to regain its pre-financial crisis peak in 2008-2009. According to the latest GFinder statistics, HIV vaccine research makes up more than half of all R&D spending on the disease: $652 million, or 60 percent, in 2014. Malaria vaccine research received a large bump in 2014, increasing its share of R&D funding from $120 million to $173 million, following several years of declining investment.

    There is an existing vaccine for tuberculosis. The bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine was introduced in 1921, and while it is effective in preventing the disease in children and is considered one of the most successful immunization programs, it does not protect against primary infection and, more importantly, does not prevent reactivation of the disease later in life. What alternatives are on the horizon? There are several vaccine candidates in clinical development at phase II stage, mostly targeting infants and young children, or as potential boosters for the BCG vaccine. Results for these trials to date have been mixed, and some of the potential candidates have shown limited efficacy in infants. As with HIV and malaria, TB vaccine research has suffered consecutive declines in funding since the beginning of the decade.

    The patterns are clear. Vaccine research for diseases of poverty is complex, with long lead-in times before a product is available. Work has been ongoing on a HIV vaccine since the 1980s, for example. Investment in the sector has failed to regain the levels it received before the financial crash in 2008-2009, reflecting the fact that global health research is not yet seen as a core issue for global health decision-makers. If we are to harness the latent potential in vaccine research, how are we to do it?

    1. Sustainable and sufficient funding: Annual funding for global health research for diseases of poverty has stalled, reaching $3.37 billion in 2014. If we are serious about reducing preventable deaths caused by these diseases, this figure needs to be doubled. This will not only provide a stimulus to a sector that has been serially neglected, but will also transform the lives of millions of people living in some of the world’s poorest countries. In Europe, where there is significant scientific and research expertise, civil society has been pushing the European Union to lead the way in increasing financing for research into diagnostics, treatment, prevention and vaccines.

    2. A coherent investment strategy: With downward budgetary pressures, it’s important to extract the maximum possible impact from any funding. In Europe, for example, the EU has adopted several policy initiatives to support innovation and research, in conjunction with its development cooperation and global health programs. However, the alignment and synergies between these respective — and often disparate — sectors do not always have the maximum impact possible. In addition, the policy aim of delivering innovation for global health, including for diseases of poverty, is not always apparent. Policymakers need to do better to make sure that talented researchers are able to secure support for the best and most promising projects. We do not want to miss out on revolutionary discoveries because of onerous administrative burdens or restrictions.

    3. Support for innovation across the development cycle: New models for developing vaccines have shown that they can provide solutions for diseases that have been neglected for lack of market incentive. Product development partnerships are active right now in researching and trialling the next generation of vaccines, working to overcome the obstacles the sector has faced. These partnerships — bringing together academia, public health and the private sector — have reinvigorated the global health research field by translating basic research into real medical interventions, and need support from policymakers and international donors.

    We are living in an age of constant medical advances, one in which the power of vaccines has been harnessed to save millions of lives. As we move into the next era of global development policy — the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — we need to secure and build on this progress, to achieve breakthroughs in the fight against diseases such as HIV, TB and malaria. Investing in research and innovation targeted at these diseases now and in the right policy environment could usher in the next revolution in immunization.

    Join the Devex community and access more in-depth analysis, breaking news and business advice — and a host of other services — on international development, humanitarian aid and global health.

    • Global Health
    • Funding
    • Research
    • Worldwide
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Cécile Vernant

      Cécile Vernant

      Cécile Vernant is head of EU advocacy for Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung, an international development and advocacy organization focused on achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Representing DSW in Brussels, Cécile focuses on global health, SRHR, and youth and women empowerment. Prior to joining DSW, she worked in EU public affairs as well as corporate marketing and crisis communication in her native France and the United States.

    Search for articles

    Related Jobs

    • Senior Technical Officer, Laboratory Services
      Nigeria | West Africa
    • Finance and Grants Officer
      Yangon, Myanmar | Myanmar | East Asia and Pacific
    • Public Fundraising Team Assistant
      London, United Kingdom | United Kingdom | Western Europe
    • See more

    Most Read

    • 1
      Opinion: Mobile credit, savings, and insurance can drive financial health
    • 2
      FCDO's top development contractors in 2024/25
    • 3
      Strengthening health systems by measuring what really matters
    • 4
      Opinion: India’s bold leadership in turning the tide for TB
    • 5
      Reigniting momentum for maternal, newborn, and child health

    Trending

    Financing for Development Conference

    The Trump Effect

    Newsletters

    Related Stories

    Devex CheckUpDevex CheckUp: USAID cuts threaten global health research

    Devex CheckUp: USAID cuts threaten global health research

    Global healthUSAID funding cuts jeopardize breakthrough drugs and research

    USAID funding cuts jeopardize breakthrough drugs and research

    Escape the Neglect: Produced in PartnershipThe new reality of R&D funding for neglected tropical diseases

    The new reality of R&D funding for neglected tropical diseases

    MalariaIs the world on track to eradicate malaria?

    Is the world on track to eradicate malaria?

    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement