Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Pakishe Aaron Motsoaledi urge G20 nations to ensure equitable, affordable access to new TB vaccines, marking a key step toward ending the epidemic by 2030.
At the G20 Health Ministers’ meeting in Limpopo, South Africa, on November 6, 2025, world leaders and health agencies convened to address one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time—ensuring equitable and affordable access to future tuberculosis (TB) vaccines for adolescents and adults. Despite lifesaving progress, TB remains a leading global killer, claiming over a million lives each year and disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations, including those living with HIV. The meeting, themed “Together for a TB-free World: Financing and Access Solutions for Novel Tuberculosis Vaccines,” aims to accelerate vaccine development and guarantee that effective new TB vaccines reach those who need them most.
In their commentary published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Dr Ghebreyesus and Dr Motsoaledi stress that ending TB is vital for sustainable development and global health security. Despite saving 79 million lives since 2000, TB remains a leading global killer, especially among people living with HIV.
Organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the South African government under its G20 presidency, the event showcased the work of the TB Vaccine Accelerator Council’s Finance and Access Working Group. With six vaccine candidates currently in phase 3 trials, leaders focused on strategies for sustainable financing, equitable pricing, and scalable delivery once vaccines are approved. Representing nations that account for over 70% of the global TB burden, the G20’s commitment could mark a turning point in the fight to end TB by 2030, aligning scientific innovation with global solidarity and shared responsibility.
