(Geneva) The WHO on Wednesday launched an urgent call to develop a vaccine against a bacterial infection that is responsible for the death of 150,000 infants and stillbirths each year.
Group B streptococci (GBS), which causes sepsis and meningitis, is a much bigger health problem than previously thought, according to a report by the UN organization and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The report reveals that this type of bacteria is the cause of 500,000 premature births per year and many permanent disabilities.
The document, while confirming the scale of the phenomenon – around 100,000 deceased infants and 50,000 stillbirths each year – highlights the “holes” in the data collection which suggests that the actual number of victims could be higher.
“This new study shows that group B streptococci are an undervalued threat to the survival and well-being of newborns that has a devastating impact on scores of families around the world,” said Phillipp Lambach, who works on immunization at the WHO.
Because of the devastating effects of this type of bacteria, “WHO calls – with its partners – for the urgent development of a maternal GBS vaccine”, underlined Mr. Lambach.
Professor Joy Lawn, LSHTM, pointed out that a vaccine could save hundreds of thousands of lives and regretted that there was no more progress when the idea of developing one was launched there over three decades ago.
On average, 15% of pregnant women, or about 20 million per year, are carriers of this type of bacteria present in their vagina.
The bacteria can be passed to the fetus through the amniotic fluid and during childbirth, if the child passes through the vaginal canal.
Each year, 40,000 children suffer from neurological disorders due to group B streptococci.
Currently, women with GBS are treated with antibiotics during childbirth to reduce the risk of infecting the child.
But the procedure is not suitable in many countries.
The highest rates of maternal GBS cases are found in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for half of all cases globally as well as in East and Southeast Asia, the study reports.
The authors estimate that an anti-GBS vaccine, which would be administered during routine examinations during pregnancy and which would affect 70% of pregnant women, would prevent the death of 50,000 newborns and fetuses each year.