The World Health Organization (WHO) invites feedback on the draft Bacterial Pathogen Research and Emergency Preparedness (BacPREP) R&D Roadmap, developed under the WHO R&D Blueprint for Epidemics.
In 2024, the WHO R&D Blueprint established Collaborative Open Research Consortia (CORCs) to address fragmented and largely reactive research efforts for priority pathogens. CORCs bring together global networks of experts across academia, public health, industry, and implementing partners to align research agendas and accelerate the development of medical countermeasures for epidemic-prone diseases.
As part of this initiative, WHO convened the BacPREP CORC, which focuses on strengthening preparedness for bacterial pathogens with epidemic potential. It is coordinated by partner institutions including the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Aga Khan University, and the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, working with WHO and a global network of technical experts.
Between 2025 and 2026, WHO and the BacPREP CORC convened expert consultations and technical working groups to review existing evidence, identify key research gaps, and define priority activities. These discussions informed the development of the draft BacPREP R&D Roadmap, which outlines research priorities for the next 3–5 years across five bacterial pathogens of global health importance: Vibrio cholerae, Yersinia pestis, Shigella spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, and invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium). In addition to pathogen-specific priorities, the roadmap identifies cross-cutting research and development needs including surveillance and epidemiology, diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics, regulatory pathways, manufacturing and supply, research infrastructure and clinical trial capacity, and community engagement and implementation research.
WHO invites feedback from the global community to ensure that the roadmap reflects current scientific knowledge and priorities for strengthening preparedness for bacterial epidemics.
How to provide feedback
Stakeholders are invited to review the draft roadmap and provide comments through the consultation form. Feedback may address the roadmap overall, pathogen-specific sections, or cross-cutting research priorities.
The consultation will remain open until 20 June 2026. For questions or additional comments, please contact bacprep@lshtm.ac.uk.