In a significant step towards curbing malaria, three African countries – Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone – have joined a large-scale vaccine rollout program.
This initiative targets millions of children on a continent disproportionately affected by the disease.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa accounts for a staggering 94% of global malaria cases, with children bearing the brunt of fatalities.
The new program builds upon the success of a pilot program launched in 2019, where Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi vaccinated over two million children.
These vaccinations yielded substantial reductions in severe malaria illness and hospitalizations.
“With the new, safe and efficacious malaria vaccine, we now have an additional tool to fight this disease,” said Sierra Leone’s Health Minister Austin Demby.
He emphasized the importance of combining the vaccine with existing measures like insecticide-treated nets and proper diagnosis and treatment to ensure “no child should die from malaria infection.”
Benin has received its initial shipment of 215,900 doses, while Liberia expects to vaccinate 45,000 children with its initial allocation of 112,000 doses.
Sierra Leone will begin with 550,000 doses before expanding the program nationwide.
The rollout utilizes two WHO-recommended vaccines – RTS,S and R21 – hailed as a breakthrough in child health and malaria control efforts.
This expansion signifies a renewed commitment to combating this devastating disease and protecting Africa’s most vulnerable populations.
