May 20, 2025, GENEVA, Switzerland – At a key side event during the 78th World Health Assembly, international health leaders and experts united to elevate leptospirosis—a neglected and deadly disease—onto the global health agenda, urging coordinated action to address the underacknowledged and underdiagnosed threat. 

The event, titled “Leptospirosis in the One Health Framework: A Global Health Challenge,” was hosted by the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) in partnership with the governments of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Rwanda, and Kenya, along with the International Leptospirosis Society (ILS), the Global Leptospirosis Environmental Action Network (GLEAN), the World Health Organization, and the National Research and Innovation Agency in Indonesia. 

The gathering brought together policymakers, public health officials, and global health stakeholders to highlight the widespread impact of leptospirosis—a bacterial disease spread through contaminated water or soil that disproportionately affects marginalized communities with poor access to healthcare, clean water, and sanitation. 

Dr. Panumard Yarnwaidsakul, Director General of Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, said, “Leptospirosis remains a significant public health issue, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Climate change, global warming and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns have contributed to the spread of leptospirosis. These will enhance the risk of infection for humans and animals worldwide, making leptospirosis a global health concern.” 

Dr. S. Mahendra Arnold, Deputy Director General of Public Health Services in the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health, said, “Today, we gather not just to discuss a disease, but to address a gap in our collective action. Leptospirosis is emblematic of a broader challenge. It crosses sectors: human health, animal health, and the environment. It emerges at the nexus of flooding, urbanization, agriculture, and poverty. Its outbreaks strain already stretched health systems, especially in resource-limited settings. And yet, for all the complexity of its transmission, the truth is simple: we know how to prevent it, and we can do better.” 

Prof. Joseph Vinetz, Professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine, said, “Scientists are working tirelessly to generate the evidence needed—but without global investment in R&D for diagnostics, vaccines and prevention, the burden of leptospirosis will only continue to grow.” 

Dr. Jerome H. Kim, Director General of IVI, said, “Leptospirosis, a globally distributed and poverty-associated infectious disease with a poorly defined global burden, should no longer remain among the most neglected of the neglected tropical diseases. It is time to formally list leptospirosis as a neglected tropical disease and make it a global health priority so we can accurately understand its burden, mobilize investments, and protect vulnerable populations around the world.” 

Remarks and keynote presentations addressed the global challenge of leptospirosis and responses underway. Speakers included: 

• Dr. S. Mahendra Arnold, Deputy Director General, Public Health Services (Disease Control), Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka 

• Dr. Panumard Yarnwaidsakul, Director General, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand 

• Dr. Elijah Songok, Ag. Director General, Kenya Medical Research Institute 

Keynote speakers included: 

• Prof. Joseph Vinetz, Professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine 

• Dr. Panithee Thammawijaya, Acting Senior Expert in Preventive Medicine, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand 

• Dr. Lorenzo Pezzoli, Team Lead, Meningitis & Epidemic Bacterial Diseases, World Health Organization Health Emergencies Programme 

A panel moderated by IVI’s Dr. Suneth Agampodi explored policy, research, and implementation strategies. Panelists included: 

• Dr. Anou Dreyfus, Senior Scientist, University of Zurich / Executive Member, International Leptospirosis Society

• Dr. Claudia Munoz-Zanzi, Associate Professor, Environmental Health Sciences, Global Leptospirosis Environmental Action Network (GLEAN) 

• Dr. Farida Dwi Handayani, Researcher, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia 

Dr. Douglas Shaffer, IVI’s Deputy Director General for Global Affairs and Communications, moderated the event and guided a solutions-focused dialogue. 

The event underscored growing global commitment to address leptospirosis within the broader contexts of health equity, One Health, and pandemic preparedness, with momentum expected to carry into future World Health Assembly discussions and global initiatives. 

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About the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) 

The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is a non-profit international organization established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme with a mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health. 

 IVI’s current portfolio includes vaccines at all stages of pre-clinical and clinical development for infectious diseases that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, such as cholera, typhoid, chikungunya, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, hepatitis E, HPV, COVID-19, and more. IVI developed the world’s first low-cost oral cholera vaccine and a new-generation typhoid conjugate vaccine, both pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

IVI is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea with a Europe Regional Office in Sweden, an Africa Regional Office in Rwanda, a Country Office in Austria, and a Country and Project Office in Kenya. IVI additionally co-founded the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute in Hong Kong and hosts Collaborating Centers in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. 42 countries and the WHO are members of IVI, and the governments of the Republic of Korea, Sweden, India, Finland, Austria, and Thailand provide state funding. For more information, please visit https://www.ivi.int.