Afrigather 
Freetown – On World Malaria Day, Sierra Leone formally launches the introduction and rollout of 550 000 RTS’S WHO authorised vaccine procured by UNICEF with funding from GAVI, turning into the third nation in 2024 to introduce this marketing campaign after Cameroon and Burkina Faso.
The Authorities of Sierra Leone, supported by the World Well being Group (WHO), UNICEF, and different companions, began vaccination efforts on the Waterloo Well being Middle. Roll-out to well being services nationwide will observe, concentrating on all six-month-old infants liable to malaria-related dying.
Sierra Leone is among the many nations with the very best malaria burden globally, with over two million hospital visits yearly attributed to the illness, half of those are kids underneath the age of 5. Malaria additionally accounts for 25% of all baby deaths within the nation.
“With the brand new, secure, and efficacious malaria vaccine, we now have an extra instrument to struggle this illness. Together with insecticide-treated nets, efficient analysis and remedy, and indoor spraying, no baby ought to die from malaria an infection,” stated Dr Austin Demby, Minister of Well being.
UNICEF, and WHO, together with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, USAID’s Breakthrough ACTION, Save the Kids, the President’s Malaria Initiative, and World Imaginative and prescient, have supported nationwide well being authorities to strengthen =vaccine introduction measures.
“The launch of the malaria vaccine into the routine immunization service marks a laudable enterprise, making certain that each baby between the ages of 6 to 23 months has entry to this life-saving intervention. This initiative not solely underscores our dedication to attaining common well being protection but in addition displays our resolve to depart no baby behind,” stated Liv Elin Indreiten – UNICEF Consultant a.i “It’s a pivotal second in our journey in the direction of a malaria-free Sierra Leone complementing current interventions resembling insecticide-treated mattress nets, indoor residual spraying, and immediate analysis and remedy,” she stated.
A nationwide malaria marketing campaign to distribute almost 5.4 million particular Insecticide-Handled Nets (ITNs) utilizing a digitized registration system for the very first time, is being rolled out throughout the nation. With $5.3 million from the International Fund, UNICEF, WHO, and different companions are supporting the Ministry of Well being on this effort.
Via the Accelerating Malaria Vaccine Introduction and Roll-out in Africa (AMVIRA) initiative, WHO additionally supported the event of a dashboard to trace readiness evaluation, vaccine provide and vaccination roll-out on the nationwide and district ranges. This instrument will likely be an asset in producing and sharing key knowledge to raised perceive vaccine uptake and supply.
“Reaching nationwide well being objectives requires a collective effort. The WHO commends the Authorities of Sierra Leone, ministry of well being, healthcare staff, group leaders, and all of the companions for his or her tireless efforts, collaboration, and cooperation in rolling out the malaria vaccine. It’s essential that we proceed to work collectively to make sure each baby can profit from this life-saving intervention. Via improvements just like the malaria vaccine and our continued partnership, we are able to sit up for a future the place malaria not threatens the lives and potential of our youngsters” stated Dr Harmless B. Nuwagira, Consultant a.i of WHO in Sierra Leone.
Since 2019, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have administered the RTS,S vaccine in a four-dose schedule to kids from round 5 months of age as a part of the pilot Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP). In line with WH, greater than 2 million kids have been reached, with greater than 6 million doses administered, leading to a big 13% drop in all-cause mortality in kids age-eligible to obtain the vaccine, and substantial reductions in extreme malaria sickness and hospitalizations.
A complete of 19 African nations are scheduled to launch the malaria vaccine this yr. Along with Sierra Leone, Benin and Liberia the place vaccines have been obtained and are being administered.
About Gavi
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is a pioneering public-private partnership dedicated to vaccinating over half of the world’s kids in opposition to among the deadliest illnesses. By fostering collaboration between creating nation and donor governments, alongside strategic partnerships with key stakeholders such because the WHO, UNICEF, and the vaccine business, Gavi has performed a monumental position in immunizing over 1 billion kids since its inception in 2000. This collective effort has prevented greater than 17.3 million future deaths and contributed to halving baby mortality in 78 lower-income nations. Moreover, Gavi’s contributions lengthen to enhancing world well being safety by supporting well being techniques, outbreak response initiatives, and funding important vaccine stockpiles for illnesses resembling Ebola, cholera, meningococcal an infection, and yellow fever.
For extra details about Gavi’s transformative work, go to www.gavi.org and join with us on social media platforms together with Fb and Twitter.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in among the world’s hardest locations, to achieve the world’s most deprived kids. Throughout 190 nations and territories, UNICEF work for each baby, in all places, to construct a greater world for everybody. For extra details about UNICEF and its work for kids, www.unicef.org/sierraleone, or on immunization here.
Keep up to date on UNICEF’s immunization applications by following us on Twitter and Facebook.
About WHO
Guided by the rules of science and fairness, the World Well being Group (WHO) leads world efforts to advertise well being and well-being for all. Because the main UN company for well being, WHO spearheads important initiatives aimed toward illness prevention, well being system strengthening, and common entry to healthcare providers. working with 194 Member States in 150 areas worldwide, WHO coordinates worldwide responses to well being emergencies, addresses the basis causes of well being disparities, and advocates for probably the most weak populations. For authoritative data on world well being points and WHO’s impactful work, go to www.who.int and observe us on numerous social media platforms together with Twitter, Fb, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, and YouTube.
Media Contacts:
WHO:
Madlyn Sharkah, sharkahm [at] who.inttype=”coloration:blue; text-decoration:underline”
UNICEF:
Issa Davies, idavies [at] unicef.org
Harriet Mason, hmason [at] unicef.org ()type=”coloration:blue; text-decoration:underline”
