Written evidence submitted by Results UK (SDY0011)

About Results UK

Results UK works to create the public and political will to end poverty through a movement of passionate, everyday people. We undertake strategic policy, parliamentary and grassroots advocacy on four key factors of poverty: economic opportunities, education, citizen voice and health, with a particular focus on child vaccinations, nutrition, foundational literacy and numeracy, and tuberculosis (TB) - a disease that continues to cause significant mortality and economic burden globally and in the UK. Our advocacy is built on global solidarity, partnership, and shared empowerment and in order to amplify advocacy efforts and drive policy change towards the goal of ending poverty, we collaborate closely with civil society organisations and engage with the FCDO.

Results UK is the only civil society organisation (based in the UK) working on the global TB response. We provide the secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global Tuberculosis and for the UK Academics and Professionals to end TB (UKAPTB) network. Results UK is a member of the ACTION Global Health Advocacy Partnership, comprising 15 organisations across five continents, building political support and resources for global health initiatives. We also collaborate with survivor-led TB networks around the world to guarantee that those who have experienced TB are at the centre of our advocacy efforts.

We have answered questions 4, 7 and 9.

How well positioned is the government to link scientific and technological progress with enhanced global and UK security?

The UK Government is uniquely well-positioned to link scientific and technological progress with both national and global security, especially through its leadership in global health research and development (R&D) and its world-class research institutions. However, structural fragmentation, funding volatility and limited infrastructure to rapidly scale up innovations prevent it from reaching its full potential.

Global health threats such as pandemics, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and emerging infectious diseases are increasingly intersecting with national and international security, as identified in the UK’s Integrated Review Refresh[1]. Investment in health technologies, like new vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments for infectious diseases, is vital to promote global health security and stability and support international partnerships and diplomacy.

The UK has been a leading funder in global health R&D, especially on neglected diseases such as malaria, HIV and TB. The UK’s contribution to product development (from 1994-2022) will be responsible for 1.43 million lives saved and 183 million cases of neglected diseases averted[2], with more than 75% of this health impact yet to be realised. If sustained, the UK’s investment in neglected diseases R&D has the potential to generate[3]

●       Global societal return of £1.39 trillion.

●       £7.7 billion in economic activity in the UK alone.

●       Catalysing more than £4.8 billion in private sector investment in R&D.

●       Create nearly 4,000 long-term jobs in the UK.

Beyond immediate health benefits in both low and middle-income economies and the UK, public funding also plays a pivotal role in strengthening scientific, regulatory, and clinical trial capacities in regions where they have historically been underdeveloped. This investment is crucial for countries facing the greatest health burdens and creates pathways for research spanning multiple disease areas, not just neglected diseases. This also provides a perfect opportunity for the UK to use global health R&D as a lever for soft power, global health resilience and leadership on international security.

By building critical infrastructure and working within equitable partnerships, like the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the UK not only advances global health but also supports early warning systems, outbreak response, and vaccine R&D. This enables the UK to protect its own global health security, strengthen healthcare systems and help create capacity in low-income economies that can be pivoted to emerging health threats that may also affect the UK, such as emerging infectious diseases. By developing scientific research capacity and leadership to accelerate innovation, it can foster greater health resilience worldwide.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, developed in partnership with global partners, is a clear example of science serving both global health and security needs.
The UK is home to globally renowned institutions like the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the University of Oxford, and the Jenner Institute, which are at the forefront of research on infectious diseases, vaccines, genomics, and health systems. These institutions drive cutting-edge innovation in diagnostics, treatments, and data analytics that address both health and security threats such as pandemics and antimicrobial resistance.

In an interconnected world, global health security challenges such as emerging infectious diseases and the rise of antimicrobial resistance, the UK’s ability to protect its population relies on resilient health systems, global partnerships and investment in global health R&D infrastructure. Without this, we risk being unprepared for future pandemics, undermining both public health and national security. Strengthening global health R&D capacity, particularly through global health, is therefore both a humanitarian imperative and a strategic one. By being a leader in this space, the UK can help prevent future pandemics, bolster biosecurity, and maintain its position as a global leader in science and innovation.

How can the UK assess the value derived from its participation in international science collaborations in areas such as space initiatives, climate, particle physics, and vaccines development?

The UK can assess the value of its participation in international science collaborations by evaluating both direct outcomes, like technological breakthroughs and scientific discovery, alongside broader societal impacts, such as public health improvements, economic return, and diplomatic influence. These collaborations deliver tangible results whilst advancing the UK’s strategic interests, enhancing global standing, and strengthening resilience against transnational challenges.

The UK plays a major role in shaping international policy through the G7, G20 and United Nations. These forums provide the opportunity to advance global health as part of national and global health security strategies. The UK’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy[4], and subsequent refresh in 2023[5] explicitly positioned global health threats as national security issues, framing science and health research as core tools of foreign policy. This strengthens UK soft power and signals our commitment to tackling global challenges. This boosts our international standing and ensures UK science contributes to global resilience and credibility.

In a constrained fiscal environment, public investment must deliver strategic value across multiple fronts. Vaccine R&D, particularly for diseases like TB, is a prime example of spending that protects public health, whilst driving scientific innovation, and elevating the UK’s global leadership.

TB is the world's leading infectious disease killer; it affects 10.8 million people a year and causes 1.25 million deaths[6], despite being a preventable and curable disease. The political and financial neglect in ending TB has led to a resurgence in high-income economies such as the UK. TB rates in the UK have risen by 13%, with major cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester witnessing a concerning increase[7]. In an era of rising antimicrobial resistance and increasingly mobile populations, TB poses a direct threat to UK public health, particularly amongst vulnerable and marginalised communities.

The lack of investment in TB, means that research and development efforts are not prioritised. The Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, which was developed in 1921 offers partial protection, mainly in young children, but is ineffective in preventing TB in adults and drug-resistant forms of TB, which are rising globally, including in the UK. The inequity in vaccine funding was demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic when the international community managed to raise over $53 billion[8] in one year for a TB vaccine. To date, this type of global solidarity has not been achieved in TB. US$5 billion[9] is required for TB research and innovation each year, in 2023, only US$1 billion was raised globally. Funding for TB vaccine development is only at 18% of what is required[10]. A lack of investment in TB R&D is an impediment to reducing the global burden of TB and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals to end TB.

The investment case[11] for a TB vaccine clearly shows the benefits of saving lives, reducing the prevalence of AMR and improving economic outcomes, with adequate investment a new TB vaccine could:

●       Prevent 12.3 million TB deaths, avert 110 million new cases of TB between 2025-2050.

●       42 million treatments for antimicrobial resistance could be averted, saving $3.2 billion in treatment costs.

●       The macroeconomic benefits of a TB vaccine (absolute gains in Gross Domestic Product) could be as high as $3 trillion.

Investment to develop a new TB vaccine through international collaborations provides an excellent return on investment that can be calculated through lives saved, economic gains and reduced disease burden.

How can the UK be made an attractive destination for global R&D investment, and how can the benefits of this investment be maximised locally and nationally?

●       How can the government ensure leading scientific researchers continue to view the UK as an attractive place to base themselves?

To make the UK an attractive hub for global R&D investment, especially in areas like life sciences and global health, the government must commit to sustained, strategic investment in science partnerships that yield both domestic and international benefits.

The government should maintain long-term funding commitments, support regulatory certainty, and provide mobility routes for leading scientists to carry out their work in the UK. Embedding global health R&D into the UK’s wider innovation strategy - including the life sciences vision and trade agenda - will reinforce the UK’s position as a world-leading science partner and ensure that local communities reap the benefits of global innovation.

One example is Product Development Partnerships (PDPs). PDPs produce new products tailored for individuals grappling with diseases and health threats underserved by traditional markets by building partnerships between the public, private, academic, and philanthropic sectors. PDPs have pioneered treatments, vaccines, diagnostics, vector controls, devices, and various other forms of innovation that have led to significant progress against some of humanity’s most enduring and lethal pandemics, including TB[12].

The UK has previously provided funding for PDPs and product development research for global health[13], including funding TB Alliance that produced the shorter drug treatment regimen for drug-resistant TB[14]. PDPs minimise product development costs while delivering solutions that offer substantial financial and health returns, making investment in PDPs a sound strategy for partners looking to improve global health, catalyse global development, and uplift vulnerable populations, including women and children. So far 2.4 billion people[15] worldwide have benefited directly from new health technologies introduced by PDPs.

PDPs like IAVI are leading the quest to bring new TB vaccines to life. IAVI is a non-profit that develops vaccines and antibodies for HIV, TB, and emerging infectious diseases by collaborating with partners around the world to develop safe, effective, and accessible vaccines. They collaborate globally to advance the most promising TB vaccine candidates from discovery through clinical trials to post-licensure access. IAVI also leads policy and advocacy initiatives, engaging with international partners to support TB vaccine development and ensure equitable access. Their approach is both disease-specific and cross-cutting, driven by needs and rights, to effectively mobilise comprehensive responses to disease prevention.

IAVI are currently progressing a TB vaccine clinical trial in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda for the MTBVAC TB vaccine candidate, which recently demonstrated promising safety and immunogenicity results in adults during a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial[16]. With sustained support, candidates like MTBVAC could move into large-scale efficacy trials, paving the way for a future global rollout that would transform the TB response worldwide, ultimately reducing illness and mortality, strengthening health systems, and enhancing biosecurity in the UK and beyond.

Donor countries benefit just as much from investments in global health R&D as implementing countries. Supporting initiatives like those led by IAVI positions the UK as a funder and an active participant in cutting-edge scientific discovery. The UK’s strength in life sciences, combined with its global health leadership, makes it very well-placed to host and grow international partnerships that deliver both global impact and domestic benefit.

To continue the progress made by PDPs, sustained funding by governments is essential to create the products and technologies for underserved communities that commercial companies fail to support. With adequate financial and political backing, PDPs can sustain their efforts to develop and drive equitable global access to health technologies, potentially saving millions of lives, lifting populations out of poverty, and fortifying global security in the decades ahead.

8th May 2025

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