Benefits of Malaria Vaccine
22.11.2021
Malaria vaccine is a long awaited, ground breaking invention and breakthrough in medical science.. Since time immemorial, malaria has persisted in sub-Saharan Africa, causing significant health challenges, personal suffering, loss of life and economic drawbacks. The continent, and world at large, has long hoped and looked forward to the birth of an effective malaria vaccine. Now, for the first time ever, the dreams of many have come true- a malaria vaccine recommended for widespread use has been approved by World Health Organization (WHO). This great progress increases the hope that someday, the menace and misfortune caused by malaria, mostly in Africa- the continent with the heaviest burden of malaria, and other continents, will be history.
Based on the results of an ongoing pilot program from 2019 in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, WHO has recommended a widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine- schedule of 4 doses in children from 5 months of age, in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions. These regions are considered to have moderate to high Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission.. The program has currently reached over 800,000 children since it’s onset in 2019. It is projected that the vaccine, in addition to other existing malaria prevention tools, could save tens of thousands of lives annually.
Clearly, the benefits of inventing and administering the malaria vaccine are extensive given that malaria is the primary cause of childhood illness and death in sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately, two hundred and sixty thousand (260,000) African children below five years of age die yearly from malaria. Findings from the pilot program mentioned above have continued to inform WHO’s decisions regarding the malaria vaccine. Established facts and benefits of the vaccine include:
- Feasibility: The malaria vaccine administration is very feasible as it follows four scheduled doses
- Accessibility: Vaccines are funded by international organizations and are available in countries where malaria cases and incidents are high
- Positive and strong safety profile: The vaccine has not been associated with any side effect and is considered safe.
- Cost effectiveness: Given the economic impact of malaria, vaccination which reduces the incident of malaria is a cost-effective practice
- Significant reduction in number of cases: Up to 30% reduction in the number of malaria cases have been recorded in some countries and regions where the vaccine has been introduced