Nairobi — The World Health Organization(WHO) has pre-qualified another malaria vaccine that was partially tested in Kilifi, Kenya.

The vaccine, R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine is the second vaccine to be pre-qualified by the WHO, after the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine which was prequalified in July 2022.

The pre-qualification of the vaccine, which was developed by Oxford University and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, marks a significant milestone in the prevention of malaria through vaccination especially for children in the African region.

"Today marks a huge stride in global health as we welcome the prequalification of R21/Matrix-M, the second malaria vaccine recommended for children in malaria-endemic areas," Dr. Kate O'Brien, Director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals

"This is another step toward ensuring a healthier, more resilient future for those who have lived for too long in fear of what malaria could do to their children," he added.

Following multiple clinical trials, the vaccines have proved to be safe and effective and are expected to have a high public impact in areas where malaria is a significant public health risk.

"Achieving WHO vaccine prequalification ensures that vaccines used in global immunization programs are safe and effective within their conditions of use in the targeted health systems," Dr Rogério Gaspar, Director of the Department of Regulation and Prequalification highlighted.

Due to the inclining demand and low supply of malaria vaccination, WHO is expected to increase the vaccine's supply to meet the high demand from African countries where nearly half a million children die from the disease each year.