On Monday, the World Health Organization gave the green light for the use of a new vaccine for children against malaria, a disease that kills hundreds of thousands every year.
Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in a press conference: “Being a malaria researcher, I used to dream of the day when we would have a safe and effective vaccine against malaria. Now we have two.”
He added: “I am pleased to announce that the World Health Organization recommends a second vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, to prevent malaria in children at risk of contracting the disease.”
The World Health Organization also made new recommendations regarding vaccines against dengue fever and meningitis, in addition to simplifying recommendations for vaccination against the Corona virus.
The vaccine against malaria is manufactured by the Serum Institute laboratory in India, and its use has been approved so far in Ghana, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso.
In 2021, another vaccine, RTS,S, produced by the giant British pharmaceutical company GSK, became the first vaccine recommended by the World Health Organization to prevent malaria in children in areas that witness moderate to high transmission of the disease.
Pilot programs for the RTS,S vaccine in three African countries: Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, have allowed more than 1.7 million children to receive at least one dose of the vaccine since 2019.
Vaccination campaigns in these three countries led to a significant reduction in dangerous and deadly forms of malaria and a decline in the child mortality rate, and the second vaccine, when used on a widespread basis, would save tens of thousands of lives every year, according to the World Health Organization.
2023-10-02 16:35:13
#World #Health #Organization #authorizes #vaccine #save #tens #thousands
