GAVI announces $85m funding to fight typhoid fever

Millions of children in the poorest countries could soon be protected against typhoid fever following the Gavi Board’s approval of an $85m support window for typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCVs).

Gavi Board chair, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, described the vaccine as a lifesaver of millions of children, especially those living without access to clean water or sanitation.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala said that typhoid fever is still a serious threat in developing countries where the vast majority of deaths occur, although it has been eliminated from most industrialised nations.

According to CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Dr Seth Berkley, “The growing spread of drug resistant strains of typhoid is a major threat, not just to individuals, but also to our efforts to control the disease, and requires us to prioritise prevention strategies.

“Strong coverage through routine immunisation together with efforts to improve access to clean water and hygiene, will play a key role in dramatically reducing the disease.”

Gavi expects the first countries to apply in 2018 with introductions forecast to begin the year after. The Gavi Board also noted that the use of this new vaccine will enable further studies on the impact of the disease, challenges with diagnosis and appropriate immunisation strategies.

Typhoid fever is caused by ingesting contaminated food or water. Latest estimates indicate that the disease killed more than 128,000 people in 2016 and affected nearly 12 million.

Improved living conditions and the use of appropriate antibiotics have resulted in the virtual elimination of the disease in industrialised nations and a dramatic global reduction in the proportion of deaths.

However, this progress is now in danger of being undermined because of the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Drug-resistant typhoid is spreading across Asia and Africa, posing a serious threat to public health.

A new typhoid, conjugate vaccine, manufactured by Bharat Biotech International Limited and first licensed in India in 2013,  is currently under review for prequalification by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This follows the recent recommendation by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) that typhoid conjugate vaccines should be introduced in endemic countries to all children over six months of age.