By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Andrew Joseph
Published on 2024-01-22 05:01:16
The first-ever rollout of an effective malaria vaccine is set to begin in Cameroon this week, marking a historic milestone in the fight against one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. The vaccine campaign, aimed at children, will be the first time the vaccine is launched outside of clinical trials and pilot programs.
According to Mohammed Abdulaziz, the head of disease control and prevention at Africa CDC, this launch represents a transformative chapter in African public health history. This development is particularly significant for Africa, where 95% of fatal malaria cases occur, resulting in nearly half a million deaths of children each year. The continent has faced a rising number of malaria cases and deaths in recent years, with over 600,000 people dying from the disease annually.
The vaccine being rolled out in Cameroon, known as RTS,S or Mosquirix, was developed by GSK. Another vaccine, R21, created by University of Oxford researchers and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, has also received recommendations from the World Health Organization for children starting at 5 months old. Both are the first vaccines against any parasite and have been found to be equally effective.
In clinical trials, these vaccines prevented about half of clinical malaria cases in the year following vaccination. They are expected to be available in sufficient supply to meet the high demand. The RTS,S vaccine will be administered in 42 districts in Cameroon, where nearly 30% of all hospital consultations are malaria related.
While the rollout of these vaccines is a significant step, health officials have emphasized that other efforts to address malaria cases, such as the use of bed nets and insecticide spraying, should not be diminished. The success of the vaccine campaign will depend on building up the supply of vaccines, as well as local preparations and execution. Awareness is key in this rollout, and health workers have been working with communities to address any misinformation that could lead to reduced uptake of the vaccinations.
Read the original article on Africa Health News
