Prioritizing countries for TB vaccine readiness research using a global stakeholder-centric approach

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Vaccinology
• Health Systems Research

Background:

• New tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidates necessitate research into demand and health system readiness for effective deployment.
• Prioritizing countries for TB vaccine readiness research is crucial for equitable global health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a method for prioritizing countries for TB vaccine readiness research.
• To integrate stakeholder preferences with objective data for transparent country selection.

Main Methods:

• A hybrid approach combining Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used.
• A survey of TB vaccine stakeholders identified 17 criteria for country prioritization.
• Publicly available data was combined with criterion weights to generate country scores.

Main Results:

• Overall country TB burden and political will were the most important criteria identified by stakeholders.
• Health system strength and adult COVID-19 vaccination coverage were also significant factors.
• The highest-scoring countries were predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa, with selections made to ensure regional diversity.

Conclusions:

• The AHP-BWS approach provides a practical and transparent framework for prioritizing countries for TB vaccine readiness research.
• This methodology can inform evidence-based funding decisions for global public health initiatives.
• Prioritization efforts support the equitable and effective deployment of future TB vaccines.