Health Talk: Challenges and breakthroughs in tuberculosis control

Editor's note:

March 24 marks World Tuberculosis (TB) Day. In an interview with CGTN, Dr Li Liang, vice president of Beijing Chest Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, highlighted three persistent bottlenecks in global TB prevention: diagnosis delays, limited treatment options and the lack of effective vaccines.

Amid the ongoing vaccine shortage, Chinese scientists have made strides—a TB vaccine developed by a Beijing Chest Hospital team has entered trials, with Li himself becoming the first volunteer to receive it. This breakthrough offers hope in accelerating TB control efforts.

CGTN remains dedicated to tracking global health challenges and will continue sharing updates on this critical vaccine research.

A Chinese doctor on Monday became the first volunteer in clinical trials for a promising new mRNA vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), which earlier beat existing vaccines in animal studies.

Dr Li Liang is a leading Chinese TB expert and vice president of the Beijing Chest Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University. The new Chinese vaccine was developed by Li's hospital in partnership with Chinese biotech firms.

Earlier, animal trials showed that the new vaccine's efficacy exceeds that of the traditional Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and the subunit vaccine M72 by over 20-fold, highlighting its promising potential.

In the interview, Li emphasized the limitations of the BCG vaccine, the century-old immunization tool widely used against TB, citing its reduced long-term efficacy.

He underscored the urgent need for newer, more effective vaccines and expressed hope that his participation as the inaugural trial subject would help accelerate the development of this promising candidate.

Reflecting on China's progress in TB control, Li highlighted the synergy of government commitment, specialized medical teams and a robust multi-tiered healthcare framework that integrates community, county and national-level efforts. This comprehensive system, he noted, has been instrumental in advancing prevention, diagnosis and treatment protocols.

Aligning with the World Health Organization's ambitious goal to end the global TB epidemic by 2035, Li stressed the importance of rapidly deploying innovative technologies, particularly at grassroots healthcare facilities, to enhance early detection, expand access to care and ultimately curb transmission.

Videographers: Guo Huakang, Wang Hongjie

Video editor: Chen Chen

Text: Du Junzhi

Cover design: Liu Shaozhen, Yin Yating