Infectious Diseases of Poverty is calling for submissions to our Collection on Role of Vaccines in the Elimination of Infectious Diseases of Poverty: Need for Innovation and Development.
There is a great need for preventing infectious diseases of poverty, a group of diseases that disproportionately affect the world’s poorest populations, exacerbating cycles of poverty and poor health. They are highly prevalent in low-income and marginalized communities and closely associated with inadequate access to healthcare, poor sanitation, malnutrition (including vitamin A deficiency) and limited resources for prevention and treatment. Reference is made to a broad range of viral diseases, such as measles, dengue fever, rotavirus, but also bacterial (tuberculosis (TB) and cholera), protozoal (malaria, leishmaniasis and Chagas) as well as the large number of common worm infections: soil-transmitted helminth infections (STH), strongyloidiasis, schistosomiasis, food-born trematodiasis (FBT), lymphatic filariasis (LF), cysticercosis and echinococcosis.
Many of these diseases, in particular those caused by worms, are currently controlled by preventive chemotherapy, while some viral infections can be averted by vaccines. A wider spectrum of vaccines is needed, including agents directed against diseases that are currently controlled by drugs. Work on understanding the biology of the many different pathogens requires innovative technologies to overcome challenges such as pathogen variability and immune evasion, while simultaneously keeping safety standards high. In addition, the end product must be manufactured at scale and distributed efficiently while at the same time be affordable, something that faces logistical challenges in resource-poor settings.
To control poverty-related infectious diseases, vaccines must be accessible to those who need them most. They contribute strongly in the multifaceted endeavour for controlling and eventually eliminating the infectious diseases of poverty, but require a combination of scientific innovation, strategic planning and equitable access to make a significant impact on global health. Indeed, vaccines are critical in the fight against diseases in low-income countries, offering a cost-effective and efficient means of preventing illness, saving lives and promoting global health equity.
So far, smallpox is the only human infection that has been eradicated but polio is not far behind. This promises further progress creating and implementing immunizations that target other widespread infections. While knowledge of specific cytokine responses, and the antibodies they elicit, assists the choice of which antigens to focus on for vaccine development, novel adjuvants contribute to selective manipulation of the immune response. Importantly, the drug-related control of the worm infections can be prolonged if complemented with vaccines preventing reinfection. Repositioning of vaccines within the total infectious disease scenario through the combined use of chemotherapy and vaccination would thus be a versatile approach to control and elimination of infectious diseases of poverty.
This thematic series aims to trigger more research on areas including (i) Screening to find more vaccine candidates that can effectively trigger a protective immune response, (ii) Clinical trials to move potential vaccines towards Phase 1, Phase II and eventually Phase III testing while ensuring both safety and efficacy, (iii) Manufacturing and Distribution to make sure that verified products can be quickly manufactured at scale and distributed efficiently, (iv) Policy and Advocacy to promote the deployment of affordable vaccines to the populations most in need of them through enhanced funding for vaccine research and extensive vaccination campaigns. In this way, the proposed series will address the unique challenges of poverty-related infectious diseases ensuring that vaccines are not only developed but also reach those who need them.
