The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a call to action urging the global health community to stop excluding pregnant and breastfeeding women from tuberculosis (TB) research. The appeal, released with a new consensus statement, sets out a plan to make sure women most at risk are no longer sidelined from clinical studies, according to the organisation.
Every year, about 200,000 pregnant or postpartum women develop TB, but most trials still leave them out. This lack of data has slowed access to new drugs and vaccines, creating dangerous gaps in treatment for both mothers and babies.
“The benefits of TB research must flow to all people with TB, including pregnant and lactating women,” said Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Department for HIV, TB, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections. She stressed that their participation should be built in from the start, not treated as an afterthought.
The call outlines several steps: better reporting on TB during pregnancy, early testing of new drugs and vaccines for safety in pregnancy, and ensuring women’s inclusion at every stage of clinical trials. It also pushes for the removal of legal and regulatory hurdles and emphasizes the need to involve affected communities so that research is both respectful and responsive.
WHO says the consensus, shaped by over 80 experts, offers a roadmap for researchers, funders, regulators, and health programs. The goal is clear: only by including pregnant and breastfeeding women in TB research can the world close long-standing gaps and bring life-saving advances to everyone who needs them.
