Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute

AI is transforming how we detect health conditions. In South Africa, there are initiatives to use AI tools to screen for early detection of diseases like tuberculosis to improve patient outcomes. ? While researchers anticipate that AI will become a more integral tool in healthcare, we still have a long way to go before researchers can rely on it completely.

Africa bears the highest burden of both malaria cases and deaths. ? Researchers are pioneering efforts to genetically modify mosquitoes to reduce malaria transmission to humans. If successful, this approach could become an effective tool alongside vaccines and other treatments in the fight against malaria. https://lnkd.in/eEWfZyNn

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat. We know that drug-resistant pathogens endanger health care systems, food security and ecosystems everywhere. To combat these threats, we need global leadership, collaboration and accountability across all sectors. Together we can raise awareness and take meaningful actions to protect our future health. #WAAW24

We are glad to welcome Maria Koshy as our newest Infectious Disease Clinical Research Fellow here at the Gates MRI. During her time with us she will be working with the Gates MRI TB Therapeutics team. Maria spent her early years of medical training and work in India at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, where she developed an interest in tuberculosis having seen the burden of disease first-hand. We look forward to working closely with Maria on our efforts to reduce the burden of TB globally.

Malawi has become the fifth country to launch Phase 3 clinical trial sites for the M72/AS01E tuberculosis vaccine candidate. Screening for participants began at a site in Blantyre, with a second trial site also planned. If proven safe and effective, M72/AS01E could potentially be the first vaccine to help prevent pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults—the most prevalent form of tuberculosis. The Phase 3 clinical trial began in March 2024 at sites in South Africa to evaluate the vaccine's safety and efficacy, and will eventually enroll up to 20,000 participants across all trial sites. Learn more about the trial launch: https://lnkd.in/e4yXwdAN

What does it take to advance a TB drug through complex trials and into public health programs?? ? Hear directly from developers, policymakers, and the community perspective on navigating global trial challenges, including non-clinical requirements for underserved populations and community support for trial assessments. This session will also showcase how partnerships like the PAN-TB Collaboration and?UNITE4TB?streamline drug regimen development through collective work – and an update from the PAN-TB Phase 2b/c trial. Join us at the Union Conference in Bali on Nov. 14:?https://bit.ly/3NF1C0A

“We can develop new ways to prevent and treat the disease, but unless we include programming that encourages openness, we are only fighting half the battle.” ? Neelima Sharma, BVSc, MVSc, PhD, DABT, RAC,?senior toxicologist at the Gates MRI, writes on how the stigma surrounding tuberculosis (TB) is preventing?some people?from seeking treatment. Her piece urges strengthening patient education and supporting initiatives to empower those who have TB as they navigate a life-threatening illness. ? Read her full piece in?Health Policy Watch:

To prevent the spread of tuberculosis (TB), we must identify and treat both active and latent cases as early as possible. ? Combining better delivery models with cost-effective solutions can help ensure effective long-term TB treatment. A collaborative approach that focuses on the economy and quality of life, while reducing inequality, is critical in the fight to end TB.

Our team enjoyed hosting students from Brooke High School and members of?The DataJam?at the Gates MRI last week, to talk about the ways data science plays a critical role in our work. The next generation of STEM students are inspiring!

The?World Health Organization?released its 2024 Global Tuberculosis Report detailing milestones and challenges in reducing the burden of TB. Overall findings include: ? ???About 8.2 million people were newly diagnosed with TB in 2023?–?the highest number recorded since WHO began global TB monitoring in 1995. ? ???The global rise in the number of people falling ill with TB each year has slowed and started to stabilize. ? ???The number of people dying of TB each year continues to fall. ? ???The WHO African and European regions have made progress towards the 2025 milestones for reductions in the TB incidence rate and the number of deaths caused by TB. ? Despite this progress, TB has probably returned to being the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, replacing COVID-19. At the Gates MRI, we are dedicated to developing treatment and prevention tools to combat TB, including our M72/AS01E vaccine candidate, which is currently in a Phase 3 clinical trial. If proven safe and effective, the vaccine candidate could potentially become the first vaccine to help prevent pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults, the most common form of the disease. ? Read the full WHO report:?