On Monday January 22, Cameroon launched a vast campaign to vaccinate children against malaria. This is a first on the continent after the pilot phase which was carried out in three other countries. This first systematic and large-scale vaccination campaign in the world against malaria is a “ historic milestone », according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the fight against this disease, one of the deadliest among African children.
3 mins
Cameroon, the vaccine alliance (called Gavi) and the WHO speak of it as a “ historic milestone » in the fight against malaria. Monday in Soa, a suburb of the capital Yaoundé, a baby received his first injection in front of the cameras.
THE government wants to offer the RTS,S vaccine for free and at the same time as other standard routine vaccines for all children under six months of age. In total, 42 health districts are initially targeted, to reach 250,000 children by the end of 2024, with the 300,000 doses delivered in November. A campaign funded in part by the Vaccine Alliance, Gavi.
This RTS,S vaccine is seen as one more tool in a toolbox to fight against malaria: it is not considered a miracle solution, but a tool to be combined with prevention, mosquito nets and treatment from the first symptoms , as soon as possible.
In Africa, ” a child under 5 dies from malaria almost every minute »
Malaria, a disease transmitted by the bites of certain mosquitoes, kills nearly 500,000 children under the age of five each year in sub-Saharan Africa, a figure which represents 80% of deaths in Africa. In Africa, ” a child under 5 dies from malaria almost every minute “, underlines the WHO, which welcomes Monday ” the introduction » of the vaccine « in essential vaccination programs ” And ” routine » in countries at risk.
The RTS,S vaccine was developed by the British group GlaxoSmithKlein (GSK). Tested from 2019 in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi, it is the first against malaria to have been validated by the WHO. In its test phase, it contributed to a 13% reduction in mortality among vaccinated children, as well as a significant reduction, according to the WHO, in serious forms and hospitalizations.
The disease kills more than 600,000 people each year
Worldwide, the disease kills more than 600,000 people each year, 95% of them in Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). “ Large-scale implementation of malaria vaccination ” East ” a historic milestone ” Who ” could be a game-changer in the fight against malaria and save tens of thousands of lives every year “, estimated the WHO at the end of November.
Vaccination campaigns in Burkina Faso, Niger, Liberia and Sierra Leone should follow in the coming days or weeks, according to the WHO. Another malaria vaccine is also being rolled out: the R21 developed by the Serum Institute of India.