TB vaccine development aimed at breaking transmission chain

Guangzhou Laboratory, a key State facility focused on studying respiratory diseases, is developing a vaccine that could completely break the transmission chain of tuberculosis in the coming years, Zhong Nanshan, a noted expert on respiratory illness, said in a video speech on Thursday.

Zhong made the remarks during a tuberculosis prevention and control awareness event in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, which served as a prelude to the 30th World TB Day on Monday.

"Ending the transmission of tuberculosis requires actions from the whole society, including early diagnosis and treatment, elimination of discrimination and technological breakthroughs," Zhong said.

He called for greater public awareness of TB prevention and control and urged medical professionals to further improve diagnosis and treatment standards.

Zhong, head of Guangzhou Laboratory, is also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a recipient of the Medal of the Republic, China's highest honor.

Guangdong's progress in short-term treatment and vaccine research and development has laid the technological foundation for eliminating TB transmission, he said.

According to a 2024 World Health Organization report, more than 10 million new cases of tuberculosis were reported worldwide last year, including about 741,000 in China, underscoring the country's heavy burden in TB prevention and control.

In Guangdong, the reported TB incidence rate has declined by 51 percent since late 2012, according to official statistics, reflecting significant progress in prevention and control efforts.

The province, China's most populous with more than 127 million people, has detected and treated about 720,000 TB cases since 2012, maintaining a treatment success rate above 90 percent and a low mortality rate. Last year, the reported TB incidence rate in Guangdong fell by 8.9 percent from the previous year.

Guangzhou, the provincial capital, has been designated a national benchmark city for TB prevention and control. In 2024, the city reported an incidence rate of 33.82 per 100,000 people, with a 94.89 percent treatment success rate and a mortality rate of 0.31 per 100,000 cases, indicating effective TB containment.

To tackle ongoing challenges, Guangzhou Chest Hospital has established China's most comprehensive tuberculosis subspecialty treatment system, covering 18 types of difficult cases, including neurological, bone and intestinal tuberculosis, said Hu Jinxing, vice-president of the hospital.

"Through a graded diagnosis and treatment system, patients can directly access specialized departments. Those with extrapulmonary tuberculosis receive 'barrier-free access' throughout the entire process, from diagnosis to treatment," Hu said.

Guangzhou has actively screened key groups, including university students, the elderly and diabetes patients, while promoting "tuberculosis-free areas" and other pilot projects, forming a closed-loop system for screening, treatment and management.