The Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM), located in Maputo province, in southern Mozambique, announces the start of trials of a new tuberculosis vaccine, using one of the most advanced technologies developed by Biotech, a German biotechnology company.
According to the director-general of the CISM, Francisco Saúte, the technology in question was widely and successfully used in the production of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine. The news, published in Monday's edition of the Maputo daily newspaper “Notícias”, highlights the intention to use the same technology to develop a vaccine not only against tuberculosis but also to combat other diseases, such as malaria.
Francisco Saúte stresses the importance of increasing health literacy and local socio-economic development, pointing to the direct impact of these factors on reducing diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and cholera, as well as on the infant mortality rate.
The director also notes that the introduction of genomic surveillance has already brought encouraging results, such as confirmation that the drug used so far to treat malaria in Mozambique remains effective. “With this work, the Ministry of Health does not need to worry about policy changes relating to a change in the line of treatment, as has happened in the past and still happens in some African countries”, said Saúte.
In addition, in 2023, the CISM attracted innovative projects to test new tuberculosis vaccines, including one that “will use a completely new technology developed for the Covid-19 vaccine by Biotech, the Pfizer vaccine”. These developments represent a significant milestone in the fight against prevalent diseases in Mozambique, offering hope for significant advances in the country's public health.
