Cotonou, Benin – In a serious public well being initiative, Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have commenced mass rollouts of the World Health Organization (WHO)-approved RTS,S malaria vaccine on Wednesday.
This transfer marks their inclusion within the rising checklist of African international locations integrating this vaccine into their routine malaria prevention applications.
The vaccine will probably be administered to kids aged 5 months and older in 4 scheduled doses.
According to a joint assertion by WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, the worldwide vaccine alliance, the introduction of the vaccine in these international locations represents a major development within the struggle in opposition to malaria in Africa, a continent which bears the best burden of the illness.
In 2022, Africa accounted for 94% of all malaria circumstances and 95% of world malaria deaths.
The vaccine distribution noticed Benin receiving 215,900 doses, Liberia 112,000 doses, and Sierra Leone 550,000 doses. The RTS,S vaccine has proven promising ends in earlier rollouts in international locations akin to Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.
Initial pilots in three of those international locations reported a 13% discount in deaths amongst kids of eligible age, underscoring the vaccine’s potential affect.
The ongoing growth of the malaria vaccine program comes at an important time, with a number of extra African international locations anticipated to hitch within the coming months.
Additionally, there’s anticipation for the rollout of a second WHO-approved malaria vaccine, R21, which guarantees to additional improve malaria prevention efforts throughout the continent.
This growth is an important step within the international struggle in opposition to malaria, providing hope for important reductions in mortality and morbidity related to the illness in a few of the world’s most affected areas.
https://www.africanexponent.com/three-western-african-countries-roll-out-mass-malaria/
