May 20, 2025, GENEVA, Switzerland – On the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly, health leaders convened to drive coordinated global action on Group A Streptococcus (Strep A), including efforts to shape a global roadmap for prevention and vaccine development for this underrecognized public health concern.

The event, titled “Bridging the Gap: Global Collaboration for Group A Streptococcus Vaccines,” was hosted by the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) in collaboration with the governments of Sweden, the Republic of Korea, Malawi, Mozambique, and Kenya.

Health officials, policymakers, and global partners gathered for a solutions-focused dialogue on the burden of Strep A—a pathogen that causes a range of diseases, from mild infections to invasive ones, some of which can cause serious immune-related complications like acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. These diseases disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, and global vaccine development efforts face scientific and regulatory hurdles.

“Despite this profound burden, we still do not have a licensed vaccine for Strep A. This is not due to a lack of scientific opportunity, but rather a gap in political prioritization, investment, and global coordination,” said Dr. Jerome H. Kim, IVI Director General. “We must mobilize the global health community, accelerate research, and ensure that equitable access to future vaccines becomes a central part of our agenda.”

Dr. Karin Tegmark Wisell, Sweden’s Ambassador for Global Health, said: “In the parts of the world most burdened by Group A Streptococcus, access to antibiotics is limited, as is access to diagnostics—making vaccination an important preventive measure. The Swedish government supports IVI because their work is very important to increase availability of vaccines in low- and middle-income countries, within the areas affected by the disease, which currently, for various reasons, lack access to suitable vaccines.

At the event, IVI Director General Dr. Jerome H. Kim, highlighted the Strep A Vaccine Global Consortium (SAVAC 2.0), an initiative designed to catalyze innovation and support coordinated development of effective Strep A vaccines.

A panel discussion moderated by Prof. Elijah Ogola of the World Heart Federation explored the progress and challenges in Strep A vaccine development, the importance of enhanced surveillance and diagnostics for early detection, and the critical role of international partnerships and policy frameworks. Panelists included:

• Prof. Annelies Wilder-Smith, World Health Organization
• Dr. Mike Nenani Chisema, Malawi
• Dr. Eduardo Samo Gudo, Director General, National Institute of Health, Mozambique
• Dr. Bashir Isaak, Head of Family Health, Ministry of Health, Kenya

Speakers provided remarks on the burden of and mitigation strategies for Strep A infections globally and in their countries, including:

• Dr. Karin Tegmark Wisell, Ambassador for Global Health, Sweden
• Dr. Youngmee Jee, Commissioner, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency
• Dr. Eduardo Samo Gudo, Director General, National Institute of Health, Mozambique
• Dr. Bashir Isaak, Head of Family Health, Ministry of Health, Kenya
• Dr. Pierre Gsell, World Health Organization
• Dr. Mike Nenani Chisema, Deputy Director for Community and Promotive Health Services, Ministry of Health, Malawi

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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.