Ministry of health officials from Kenya, Malawi and Zambia joined more than 80 tuberculosis (TB) vaccine stakeholders, including TB survivors and representatives from civil society, technical and regulatory agencies, donors, and implementing partners to catalyze country preparedness for the introduction of novel TB vaccines, currently under clinical development, for adults and adolescents, at a workshop hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Nairobi, Kenya from 3-5 June.
The three countries are among the global frontrunners preparing for the potential rollout of a new class of TB vaccines that could transform efforts to end one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases. A new TB vaccine could be licensed as early as 2029, depending on clinical trial results.
WHO estimates that over 25 years a vaccine with 50% efficacy could avert up to 76 million new TB cases, 8.5 million deaths, 42 courses of antibiotic treatment and US$ 6.5 billion in costs faced by TB-affected households, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable.
"Tuberculosis remains a significant challenge in Africa, causing approximately 2.5 million people falling ill and over 400 000 deaths each year," said, Dr Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, WHO Representative for Kenya, a.i. in opening remarks at the workshop. "Kenya is proud to participate in late-stage clinical trials for new TB vaccines for adults and adolescents and will be one of the first countries to implement in the region. We are very pleased to host this meeting that brings together TB and immunization colleagues from across east Africa to exchange ideas, experiences and knowledge that will help each of the countries envision roadmaps for implementation of novel TB vaccines as part of broader efforts to combat TB."
Lessons learned and road maps for vaccine rollout
The workshop provided updates on the most advanced TB vaccine clinical trials, and facilitated panel discussions on priority populations, delivery strategies, evidence needs for country adoption and decision-making, and the sharing of lessons learned from other new vaccine introductions, such as those for COVID-19 and malaria, to inform planning for novel TB vaccines. The presentations and discussions highlighted many complex factors required for successful introduction and the urgent need for evidence-based implementation planning.
A key outcome of the workshop was the identification of priority actions to strengthen country preparedness. Discussions identified key priorities to include in TB vaccine introduction road maps that reflect each country's vaccine use cases and potential delivery strategies, and to identify key stakeholders and their roles. Countries will continue these deliberations over the next few months to inform the action roadmaps.
Future integration of new TB vaccines
Kenya, Malawi and Zambia recognized that early integration of new TB vaccines into national TB and immunization programmes at all levels, and across national strategies and plans, will be essential. However, meeting participants stressed that implementation approaches must be tailored to each country's specific context, taking into account the health landscape, health system readiness, and the level of stakeholder engagement and community support for new TB vaccines.
To maximize impact, countries agreed on the importance of establishing multi-functional technical working groups that bring together key national-level stakeholders to guide planning and coordination efforts, including extending to parliamentary and other high-level decision-making bodies to build political commitment, secure sustainable domestic financing, and foster an enabling policy environment. Stakeholder engagement must also include civil society organizations, including partnerships with faith-based communities and other trusted local actors to build community acceptance and support equitable vaccine access.
Countries also highlighted that funding support may be needed to undertake implementation research and country-specific modelling studies as required by national regulators and National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups. As a next step, countries committed to work on implementation strategies that are step-wise and highly targeted in early stages depending on global funding support.
Accelerating global readiness
The workshop was conducted through a collaboration of WHO TB and immunization focal points, and regulatory specialists across global, regional and country levels, and as part of TB Vaccine Accelerator activities.
The Kenya-based meeting follows country preparedness workshops held in Indonesia in 2024 and South Africa in 2025. All these countries are participating in TB vaccine trials. Participants from the earlier South Africa workshop attended to share their lessons learned and the status of their preparedness activities.
The workshop demonstrated a strong commitment among African countries and partners to work together, share knowledge, and build the foundations needed for the successful introduction of new TB vaccines that could save millions of lives.
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