29 avril 2022
Comments off on Fight against malaria: Mali is positioning itself for the acquisition of the antimalarial vaccine
The Malian authorities, with the support of its partners, are positioning themselves so that our country is among the first in Africa to acquire the RTS, S vaccine recommended in the fight against malaria, the efficacy of which is approved by the WHO. This is the commitment made by the Minister of Health, this Monday, April 25, during the celebration of World Malaria Day.
“Harnessing innovation to reduce the burden of malaria and save lives”, such was the theme of the World Malaria Day celebrated this Monday, April 25, in Mali in the presence of the Minister of Health; Ms Dieminatou SANGARE; the US Ambassador to Mali; Dennis B HANKINS; the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Jean BAPTISTE.
15th edition of its kind, this day coupled with the launch of the national week of the fight against malaria is an opportunity for decision-makers and technical and financial partners to assess the paths, approaches while strengthening awareness on the best practices of prevention of malaria, which remains a major public health problem in many African countries.
The RTS, S vaccine, hope to overcome malaria
The 2021 World Malaria Report highlights disastrous figures in the fight against this disease and shows during the period covered by the study that certain achievements could not be sustained.
“Total malaria deaths increased from 534,000 to 602,000; the mortality rate has gone from 56 to 61.5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants exposed to the risk of malaria”, says Dr Jean BAPTISTE, referring to the contents of the global report.
Africa bears the heaviest burden of malaria in the world: 95% of malaria cases and 96% of deaths are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, he attests.
Another illustration of the extent of malaria, argues Mr. BAPTISTE “a child dies of malaria every minute”, while emphasizing that 80% of all deaths from this disease in Africa are among children under the age of five. .
However, thanks to innovation, the hope of overcoming malaria, through the RTS, S vaccine, recommended to fight against human parasitosis, is within reach.
“It drastically reduces malaria-related morbidity and mortality and could save the lives of an additional 40,000 to 80,000 African children each year. This new tool is now more necessary than ever,” explains the head of the UN mission.
According to the WHO representative, the results of the pilot study on this malaria vaccine conducted in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi during the first two years of routine vaccination, confirm that an antimalarial drug is safe. Thus, it can be deployed and can contribute to reducing serious fatal forms of malaria, reassures Mr. BAPTISTE.
As a result, after the introduction of the vaccine, there was a substantial drop in the number of children hospitalized and a decrease in the number of deaths of children in the age group eligible for vaccination.
“Together, we must seize this opportunity to put progress in the fight against malaria back on track and improve child health,” he urged.
The Minister of Health, for his part, who says he follows the evolution of the vaccine against malaria, has expressed his support for this much-awaited vaccine in many countries affected by the scourge of malaria.
According to her, with the support of partners, Mali is currently positioning itself among the first candidate countries to implement this antimalarial vaccine on a large scale.
“A framework for fruitful collaboration with the private sector must be put in place to encourage more commitments from the said sector in the fight against malaria”, she asks.
First reason for consultation, the US Ambassador to Mali, whose country is one of the partners supporting the fight against malaria, welcomed the efforts made by the Malian authorities. The USA, through the President’s Malaria Initiative (USAID/PMI) and its contribution to the Global Fund, are important players in this fight.
In his speech, he recognizes that Mali is one of the leading countries in terms of research and use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
Despite all these efforts, he regrets, the statistics are not positive with regard to the victims of this disease. This is why, argues the American diplomat, malaria worries more than Covid-19 in Africa.
CRS, manager of the Global Malaria Fund
To accelerate the reduction of malaria with a view to its elimination by 2030, the Global Fund has just granted a new grant of approximately 49 billion of our francs for the fight against Malaria in the next three years in Mali. This fund will be managed by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) which has many years of experience in the fight against malaria and in research.
“Since 1999 CRS has supported the government of Mali in several areas. But within the framework of this day, it is their support for the fight against malaria”, indicated Dr Mariam TALL director of the CRS malaria project before emphasizing that their structure has many initiatives in the fight against malaria. These include the research project on spatial repellents and that of the 5th round of chemo prevention of seasonal malaria.
“It’s pressure, we don’t have the right to fail. We will be alongside the government for the next three years to support it,” she said, while emphasizing their responsibility in managing the fund.
For his part, Moussa Dominique BANGRE, resident representative of CRS in Mali added: “We are confident and happy that the government of Mali and the Global Fund have had confidence in our organization by entrusting us with the financial management of the fund. It is a heavy responsibility. We intend to work alongside the national malaria control program, but also other actors to make this program a success”.
For CRS, this day is an opportunity to be closer to the population in the fight against malaria. In addition to the participation of the communities, it was marked by an awareness sketch on malaria and the visit of stands.
BY SIKOU BAH
Source: Info-Matin