A baby girl named Daniella in Cameroon received the first routine malaria vaccine in a historic event on January 22nd, 2024. This major development signifies an important stride in saving numerous children’s lives in Africa, the continent most severely affected by the mosquito-borne disease.
Malaria claims approximately 600,000 lives yearly in Africa, with children under five, who account for at least 80% of these deaths, being particularly susceptible, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
However, encouraging progress arises with the RTS,S vaccine, a product of 30 years of research by British drugmaker GSK. The four-dose vaccine, given alongside regular childhood vaccinations, has shown promising evidence in reducing malaria deaths.
Pilot programs in Kenya, Ghana, and Malawi led to a 13% decrease in deaths among children eligible for the vaccine, as reported by UNICEF. Additionally, US researchers estimate that the vaccine could save one in three lives, given its minimum effectiveness of 36%.
While the vaccine isn’t a sole solution, it’s a crucial part of the tools available to fight malaria.
Cameroonian doctor Shalom Ndoula, who played a critical role in distributing the vaccine, shared his positive outlook with BBC Newsday: “We have the capacity to significantly reduce the number of cases and deaths from malaria and accelerate the elimination of the disease.”
This key milestone accompanies other positive news, as Cape Verde recently became the first Sub-Saharan African nation to achieve malaria-free status by the WHO in the last 50 years. It’s worthy to note that Africa bore 95% of all global malaria cases and 96% of resulting deaths in 2021.
