Chikungunya is an arboviral disease, mainly transmitted to humans by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Chikungunya disease is caused by Chikungunya virus, an alphavirus, a class of virus prone to strong arthrotropism in humans. The virus has been identified in over 60 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, under three different lineages (Asian, Indian, ECSA), and has caused significant outbreaks over several months, particularly in urban settings. The burden of Chikungunya outbreaks is biphasic and is split between an acute stage, associated with brutal disability in daily life, and a chronic stage associated with long-term sequelae. Both stages cause significant socio-economic disruption in the short-, mid- and long-term.
On November 29 2018, the WHO R&D Blueprint convened a group of experts to discuss methodological issues and agree a priori on principles in the design, conduct and analysis of Phase2b/Phase 3 clinical trials to evaluate Chikungunya vaccines, based on key epidemiological considerations, driven by vaccine needs from a public health perspective, and also recognizing current epidemiological gaps. The group of experts included national representatives from countries affected by Chikungunya, experts in Chikungunya virology and epidemiology as well as members of the R&D Blueprint working group on clinical trial design.
During the meeting, the WHO R&D Blueprint working group also reviewed the ongoing progress on Ebola, Lassa and Nipah treatment evaluation in line with previous consultations that took place earlier in 2018.