Worldwide, the number of potential pathogens is very large, while the resources for disease research and development (R&D) is limited. To ensure efforts under WHO’s R&D Blueprint are focused and productive, a list of diseases and pathogens are prioritized for R&D in public health emergency contexts.
This is an update of an article originally published on November 24, 2020. New data is coming in on the efficacy of the various vaccines, and the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are being distributed in the U.S. and other countries.