Breakthrough Malaria Vaccine Ready for Rollout in 12 African Countries

A new milestone has been reached in the fight against malaria as a vaccine, RTS,S/AS01, is set to be rolled out across 12 African countries.

The Guardian reports that the vaccine, which has been declared safe and effective, has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives.

This significant development comes after successful trials in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, where it significantly reduced deaths and severe illness caused by malaria.

Combatting Malaria

Malaria remains one of Africa's deadliest diseases, claiming the lives of nearly half a million children under five each year.

In 2021 alone, WHO says it accounted for approximately 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of deaths.

However, there is hope on the horizon with the introduction of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, a major breakthrough in preventing the spread of this deadly disease.

'Safe and Effective' Malaria Protection

Extensive trials conducted since 2019 have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine.

Administered to 1.7 million children in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, it has shown significant success in reducing severe malaria cases and child mortality rates.

This highly anticipated vaccine is now poised to be distributed to 12 African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.

Millions of Doses

To ensure that the vaccine is distributed effectively, the allocation process is guided by the Framework for the allocation of limited malaria vaccine supply.

The initial 18 million doses have been assigned to countries with the highest risk of malaria-related illnesses and deaths among children.

An additional 16 African countries have also requested access to the vaccine, and efforts are underway to scale up production to meet the growing demand.

Partnerships and Production

The RTS,S/AS01 vaccine results from the collaboration between GlaxoSmithKline and the Indian company Bharat Biotech.

While GlaxoSmithKline is currently producing the vaccine, Bharat Biotech will join the production efforts to meet the expected demand of 60 million doses per year by 2026.

This partnership aims to ensure a steady supply of the vaccine to African countries in need.

Furthermore, another promising vaccine, the R21/Matrix-M, developed by Oxford University and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, is expected to receive WHO prequalification soon.

Rollout

The initial doses of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, are expected to arrive in the final quarter of this year, with countries starting to implement their vaccination programs in early 2024.

Introducing this vaccine into routine immunization programs is critical to reducing malaria-related deaths and illnesses.

It is estimated that, when broadly deployed alongside other interventions, the vaccine could prevent tens of thousands of deaths annually, offering children across Africa a better chance at surviving this preventable and treatable disease.

With malaria vaccine demand projected to increase significantly, global initiatives such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, are actively working on a roadmap to support the expansion of vaccine supply.

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