Malaria Vaccine Arrival Marks Progress Toward Broader Rollout
The malaria burden is the highest on the African continent, which accounted for approximately 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of related deaths in 2021. With several African countries now finalizing rollout plans, an additional 1.7 million doses are set for delivery to Burkina Faso, Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone in the coming weeks. These shipments signal that malaria vaccination is moving out of its pilot phase, and lay the groundwork for countries to begin vaccinations through Gavi-supported routine immunization programmes
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Africa: First Malaria Vaccines Arrive in Cameroon - Other Countries to Follow
Unicef, 23 November 2023
Shipments of the world's first WHO-recommended malaria vaccine, RTS,S, have begun with 331,200 doses landing last night in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The delivery is the first to a… Read more »
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Africa: Groundbreaking Malaria Vaccines Developed, but Challenges Remain
The Conversation Africa, 21 November 2023
The approval of two malaria vaccines - the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine in 2021 and the R21/Matrix-MTM vaccine in 2023 - will help control, and eventually help eradicate, a disease that… Read more »
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Tanzania: Battle Against Malaria Gets Further Boost
Daily News, 20 November 2023
In an effort to tackle the spreading of malaria disease, Barrick Bulyanhulu Gold Mine has launched a campaign to ensure zero threat remains a goal. Read more »
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Rwanda: Malaria Prevalent in Southern Province - Report
New Times, 19 November 2023
The Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) has shed light on the regions grappling with high occurrences of malaria, highlighting the Southern Province as the most prevalent to the… Read more »
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Addis Standard, 15 November 2023
The Oromia Physicians Association (OPA), non-profit professional association, has dispatched groups of doctors to Western Oromia to provide emergency healthcare services to… Read more »
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Kenya: Kenya's Bold Step Towards a Malaria-Free Future - Unveiling the National LLINs Distribution Campaign
Capital FM, 15 November 2023
The Ministry of Health has launched the National Long-Lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets (LLINs) Distribution Campaign that kicks off today. Read more »
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Africa: WHO Approves First African-Manufactured Malaria Drug
Independent (Kampala), 12 November 2023
A leading Kenya-based pharmaceutical manufacturer, Universal Corporation Ltd (UCL), has become the first African manufacturer to gain WHO prequalification for their… Read more »
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South Africa: Malaria Season - Travellers Warned to Take Precautions
SAnews.gov.za, 2 November 2023
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) is urging people travelling to malaria-endemic areas to take the appropriate precautions this summer. Read more »
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Africa: WHO Prequalifies First African-Made Combination Therapy for Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention
Universal Corporation Ltd, 6 November 2023
Universal Corporation Ltd (UCL), a Strides Pharma Science Limited (Strides) enterprise, with support from MMV, becomes the first African manufacturer to gain WHO prequalification… Read more »
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Africa: Malaria Vaccine is Here - 'The World Needs Good News - And This is a Good News Story'
WHO, 22 November 2023
Shipments of the world's first WHO-recommended malaria vaccine, RTS,S, have begun with 331 200 doses landing last night in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The delivery is the first to a… Read more »
Pallets carrying the first shipment of the first WHO-approved malaria vaccine are unloaded after arrival in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Shipments of the world’s first WHO-recommended malaria vaccine, RTS,S, have begun with 331,200 doses landing in Cameroon. The delivery is the first to a country not previously involved in the malaria vaccine pilot programme and signals that scale-up of vaccination against malaria across the highest-risk areas on the African continent will begin shortly. Nearly every minute, a child under five dies of malaria. In 2021, there were 247 million malaria cases globally, which led to 619,000 deaths. Of these deaths, 77 per cent were children under 5 years of age, mostly in Africa. Malaria burden is the highest on the African continent, which accounts for approximately 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of related deaths in 2021. A further 1.7 million doses of the RTS,S vaccine are expected to arrive in Burkina Faso, Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone in the coming weeks, with additional African countries set to receive doses in the months ahead.
Manaouda Malachie, Minister of Public Health of Cameroon, and Juliette Haenni, Deputy Representative of UNICEF to Cameroon, welcome the first shipment of the WHO-approved malaria vaccine, which has just arrived at the airport in Yaoundé. The delivery is the first to a country not previously involved in the malaria vaccine pilot programme and signals that scale-up of vaccination against malaria across the highest-risk areas on the African continent will begin shortly.
In Yaoundé, Cameroon, an airport worker loosens the webbing securing a pallet holding boxes of the first WHO-approved malaria vaccine, which have just arrived as part of the first shipment. Nearly every minute, a child under five dies of malaria. In 2021, there were 247 million malaria cases globally, which led to 619,000 deaths. Of these deaths, 77 per cent were children under 5 years of age, mostly in Africa.
