South-East Asia Regional Meeting on South-South collaboration on research and innovation in TB

Overview

The two-day “South-East Asia Regional Meeting on South–South Collaboration on Research and Innovation in TB” was held in Chennai, India on 11–12 July 2023. It aimed to lay the foundation for strengthening collaboration on research and innovation to accelerate efforts towards ending TB among Member States in the Region. The participants got an opportunity to share relevant information, experiences, and ideas to strengthen the research network in the Region for capacity-building and fund-raising.

The Director, Communicable Diseases, WHO South-East (SE) Asia Regional Office in his opening remarks emphasized that research and innovation are essential components of the Regional Strategy to end TB. They are needed to address the challenges to regional progress in the fight against TB. 

In a presentation by the Global TB Programme, WHO headquarters, the participants were informed about the Director-General’s Flagship Initiative to end TB, 2023–2027. The Initiative aims to put the spotlight on the urgent need to increase domestic and international investments in TB services, and in TB research and innovation, particularly for new vaccine development. 

Member States need to define (1) national TB research priorities and (2) a regional approach that would create a good dynamic and synergize the efforts, (3) to focus limited research and development (R&D) resources on high-priority and high-quality research.

Highlights from the recently conducted SE Asia Regional Research Landscape Analysis were also presented, which informed the group about the TB research ecosystem in the SE Asia Region. It also gave insight into the nature and magnitude of intercountry institutional collaborations in research publications from the Region.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) shared updates on two TB vaccines that are in the advanced phase of development (1) VPM1002: rBCG vaccine, (2) Immuvac (MIP/Mw) (Mycobacterium indicus pranii). Study details, including the duration, enrolment and initial findings on adverse events, were shared with meeting participants.

Representatives from Member States shared their achievements and ongoing activities related to TB research and innovation. Furthermore, they presented priority areas for TB research and the challenges they faced.

Key research priorities identified during the discussions were as follows:

• Patient pathway analysis to improve outreach for and access to TB services
• Analysis of a pathway for TB preventive treatment (TPT) to improve coverage
• Cost efficiency of chest X-ray (CXR) followed by Xpert
• Early detection algorithm using CXR in health facilities
• Quality assurance of the use of digital X-rays and computer-aided detection
• Feasibility studies for new diagnostics, e.g. TB antigen skin test
• Shorter regimens (drug-sensitive TB [DS-TB – 4 months), TPT 0–18 years for DS-TB and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), 1 HP, 3 HP
• Implementation of performance-based financing
• Feasibility study for social support
• Bovine TB surveillance under One Health.

The group work helped to draft the outline for the regional strategic roadmap for research and innovation planned to be published on World TB Day, 2024. The meeting concluded with the following key recommendations.

• To identify context-specific research priorities among Member States
• To build the research capacities of Member States
• To efficiently and effectively utilize the available resources, including engaging WHO collaborating centers in research capacity-building
• To strengthen the regional research network for multicounty studies and gain equitable access to new tools and technologies
• To develop and disseminate the Regional Strategic Roadmap for research and innovation.