Lilongwe, Malawi. The World Well being Group (WHO) congratulates the Authorities of Malawi for the launch of expanded supply of the primary malaria vaccine – RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) – which can allow hundreds extra youngsters at excessive threat of malaria sickness and dying to learn from the extra malaria prevention.

The RTS,S malaria vaccine is the primary vaccine beneficial to be used to forestall malaria and considerably reduces life-threatening extreme malaria in youngsters. If applied broadly it may save tens of hundreds of lives every year.

In his keynote remarks on the launch, held in Mchinji District, the Honorable Secretary for Well being Dr Charles Mwansambo mentioned the enlargement of malaria vaccination “has an necessary function within the historical past of the struggle in opposition to malaria, not solely in Malawi however globally.”

“The Malawi Authorities by means of the Ministry of Well being want to affirm its dedication to proceed supporting malaria management interventions within the nation, together with the enlargement of this vaccine to areas not at the moment benefitting from the vaccine,” he mentioned.

“We applaud Malawi’s management to maneuver this breakthrough malaria vaccine ahead. Malawi was the primary nation on this planet to launch the routine use of the malaria vaccine in pilot implementation three years in the past, and at present it’s the first to broaden entry to the life-saving vaccine,” mentioned WHO Consultant Dr Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo.

“We’re dedicated to persevering with to work with the Authorities of Malawi and African and world well being companions to extend entry to the vaccine in areas of average to excessive malaria transmission to maximise its results,” she mentioned.

The Malawi Ministry of Well being launched the pilot implementation of the malaria vaccine in 11 districts in April 2019, adopted by Ghana after which Kenya. Thus far, more than 400 000 youngsters in Malawi have obtained no less than one dose of the malaria vaccine; greater than 1.2 million youngsters have been reached with the malaria vaccine throughout the three pilot nations in Africa.

The malaria vaccine enlargement will begin first with areas that weren’t receiving the vaccine within the 11 pilot districts of Mangochi, Balaka, Machinga, Nsanje, Chikwawa, Phalombe, Mchinji, Lilongwe, Ntchisi, NkhataBay, and Karonga.

The malaria vaccine is now one of many WHO beneficial interventions to forestall malaria in youngsters, together with different interventions similar to long-lasting insecticide handled bed-nets, indoor residual spraying and malaria chemoprevention methods.

The pilots will proceed in Malawi, Ghana and Kenya by means of 2023 to grasp the added worth of the fourth vaccine dose, and to measure the longer-term impression of the vaccine on youngster deaths.

The pilot programme is coordinated by WHO and supported by PATH, UNICEF, GSK and different companions, with funding supplied by Gavi; the International Fund to Battle AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and Unitaid.