WHO calls for measures to give pregnant and nursing women priority in TB research and vaccination trials.

In order to promote the early and ideal engagement of pregnant women in TB research, the World Health Organization Global Programme on Tuberculosis & Lung Health (WHO/GTB) spearheaded a consensus-building effort in 2024. The procedure is in line with more general global trends to change clinical trial procedures, such as attending to the needs of marginalized groups. Five thematic working groups (addressing preclinical TB research, TB therapeutics research, TB vaccine research, maternal TB surveillance systems, and advocacy), evidence reviews to fill in knowledge and data gaps, and a consensus meeting in February 2025 comprised the consensus process, which is summed up in this consensus statement. Cross-cutting initiatives and working group theme-specific strategies are among the methods for earlier and better inclusion that emerged from the consensus process.

Geneva — The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on the international health community to stop routinely excluding pregnant and breastfeeding women from tuberculosis (TB) research in a strong Call to Action and Consensus Statement. This historic initiative, which was created through a worldwide consensus process, provides a thorough structure to guarantee that everyone, including those who are most at risk, has fair access to TB advances. Although an estimated 200,000 pregnant or postpartum women contract tuberculosis (TB) annually, they are mainly ignored in clinical trials and research. Because of this exclusion, there are significant gaps in the research, which delays these groups' access to immunizations and life-saving treatments."All individuals with TB, including pregnant and lactating women, must benefit from TB research," stated Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Department for HIV, TB Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections. "It's time to give their inclusion top priority—not as a last-minute addition, but as a necessary first step toward evidence-based, equitable care."