Cameroon is set to pioneer the routine administration of a groundbreaking malaria vaccine for children, marking a significant step in the ongoing global effort to combat the mosquito-borne disease, which is responsible for 95% of worldwide malaria fatalities. The initiative, commencing this Monday, is hailed as a milestone in Africa’s enduring battle against malaria.
According to Aurelia Nguyen, Chief Program Officer at the Gavi vaccines alliance, the vaccination campaign is anticipated to save lives and bring substantial relief to families and the country’s healthcare system. Gavi is actively assisting Cameroon in securing the necessary vaccine doses.
Cameroon aims to vaccinate approximately 250,000 children this year and the next, with Gavi collaborating with 20 other African nations to facilitate vaccine access. The collective goal is to immunize over 6 million children across these countries by 2025. In Africa, there are approximately 250 million annual cases of malaria, resulting in 600,000 deaths, primarily affecting young children.
Cameroon will deploy the Mosquirix vaccine, the first of two recently approved malaria vaccines. Although the World Health Organization endorsed Mosquirix two years ago, acknowledging its imperfections, the vaccine is expected to substantially reduce severe infections and hospitalizations.
Produced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Mosquirix is around 30% effective, necessitates four doses, and offers protection that diminishes after several months. While GSK can produce approximately 15 million doses annually, experts suggest that a second malaria vaccine, developed by Oxford University and WHO-approved in October, might offer a more practical solution. The Oxford vaccine is cheaper, requires three doses, and could be manufactured in larger quantities by India’s Serum Institute, potentially reaching up to 200 million doses per year.
Aurelia Nguyen from Gavi expressed hope that there would be a sufficient supply of the Oxford vaccine to commence immunizations later this year. It’s crucial to note that neither of these malaria vaccines halts transmission, emphasizing the continued importance of complementary measures like bed nets and insecticidal spraying. Malaria, transmitted primarily through infected mosquitoes, manifests symptoms such as fever, headaches, and chills.
(AP)
