More than one million children in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi have received at least one dose of the malaria vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday, ahead of World Malaria Day. the fight against malaria which will be celebrated on April 25.
In a statement released in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, WHO said the malaria vaccine had sharply reduced cases of severe symptoms and deaths from the disease among children in the three African countries since its rollout in 2019.
So far, more than $155 million has been raised by the Gavi vaccine alliance to facilitate the introduction, purchase and delivery of the malaria vaccine to countries in sub-Saharan Africa where the disease is endemic, according to the WHO.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the development of a safe and effective vaccine marked a turning point in efforts to eliminate the disease on the African continent.
“This vaccine is not just a scientific breakthrough; it is of vital importance to families across Africa. It demonstrates the power of science and innovation for health,” said the CEO of WHO.
According to the Director General, it is urgent to develop more sophisticated prevention tools to relaunch the fight against malaria in Africa, the continent where more than 94% of the global impact of malaria is concentrated.