AgResults foot-and-mouth disease vaccine challenge initiative for Eastern Africa

One of the most infectious livestock diseases in the world, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) presents a constant global threat to animal trade and country economies. To assist control measures, the global clustering of FMD viruses has been divided into 7 virus pools, where multiple serotypes occur but within which are topotypes that remain mostly confined to that pool. This clustering of viruses suggests that if vaccination is to be a major tool for control, each pool could benefit from the use of tailored/more specific vaccine formulations relevant to the topotypes present in that pool.

The AgResults Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Vaccine Challenge Project (the “Project”) is an eight-year, US$17.68 million prize competition that supports the development and uptake of high-quality quadrivalent FMD vaccines tailored to meet the needs of Eastern Africa (EA). The prize is structured as a cost-share that reduces the cost-per-dose for buyers, enabling public and private sector actors to better combat FMD through more consistent purchases of the new vaccines.

The Project targets the following ‘Pool four’ countries: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda; and aims to achieve three objectives:

1. Development and registration of high-quality FMD vaccines tailored for the needs of EA
2. Increased vaccine production and regional purchases to create greater market stability and reduce price
3. Development of a private sector model for buying and distributing FMD vaccines to complement public sector efforts

In this webinar, the presenters will discuss the unique approach enabling this regionally targeted FMD vaccine initiative. After introducing the Project and progress-to-date, the presenters will describe the main challenges that have been identified to date in terms of authorizing harmonized and epidemiologically relevant FMD vaccines in the wider EA region, and how the Project is helping to overcome these challenges. The ability to demonstrate the epidemiological relevance of vaccines using the Eastern Africa Foot and Mouth Disease Virus Reference Antigen Panel developed by the World Reference Laboratory for FMD and other partners, will be highlighted.

To deliver on the Project’s third goal, the Project team developed a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Framework that highlights the landscape, challenges, and opportunities of PPPs in the FMD vaccine value chain in EA - from production, purchasing, distribution, delivery, and vaccinations to post-vaccination monitoring. To build the framework, the Project team conducted outreach to more than 140 key stakeholders - from both public and private sectors - in EA and beyond. The team is now identifying opportunities to promote the PPP Framework in target countries, hoping that it can be further developed into appropriate commitments between partners.

For more information about the Project, please visit the AgResults and/or GALVmed websites: https://agresults.org/projects/fmd-vaccine and www.galvmed.org/foot-and-mouth-project