
The latest African nations to join the recently implemented routine malaria vaccination program are Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, which started mass distribution of a WHO-approved vaccine on Wednesday.
Children five months of age and up will receive the RTS,S vaccination in four planned doses.
Sierra Leone received 550,000 doses of the vaccine, Liberia 112,000, and Benin 215,900 doses.
The launch was “a significant step forward for malaria prevention in Africa,” which is the region most affected by the disease, according to a joint statement from the WHO, Unicef, and the Global Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), which are managing the campaign.
According to WHO estimates, 94% of malaria cases worldwide and 95% of malaria-related deaths occurred in Africa in 2022.
After the vaccine’s trial in three of those nations resulted in a 13% decrease in the number of children of eligible age dying, the vaccine has already been effectively implemented in Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.
In addition to the scheduled deployment of the second vaccine, R21, that has been approved by the WHO, several additional African nations are anticipated to join the RTS,S vaccine rollout in the upcoming months. (BBC)
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