A “new era” in malaria control began with a vaccination campaign for children in Côte d’Ivoire

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Health professionals in Côte d’Ivoire have started giving children the latest malaria vaccine on Monday, the start of a regional campaign that experts hope can reduce the impact of one of Africa’s top killers.

The West African country has become the first to begin administering the latest malaria vaccine, in an effort that aims to cover around 250,000 children under the age of two. The three-dose vaccine known as R21/Matrix-M was developed by the British University of Oxford and was authorized by the World Health Organization last October.

Research suggests that it is more than 75% effective in preventing serious illness and death in the first year and that protection is extended for at least another year with a booster.

Alice Kanga was one of many who brought their children to be vaccinated on Monday. “It’s very important for children, for their health,” she said.

In 2021, the WHO approved the first malaria vaccine, known as Mosquirix, manufactured by GSK. But that vaccine it requires four doses and protection wears off within months. GSK also previously said it would only be able to produce around 15 million doses.

But the Serum Institute of India has already produced 25 million doses of the Oxford vaccine and says it plans to produce at least 100 million every year, at a cost of about $4 per dose.

More than 94% of the world’s approximately 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 annual deaths occur in Africa. The parasitic disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and most frequently affects children under five and pregnant women.

Pierre Demba, Ivory Coast’s Minister of Health, said the rollout of malaria vaccination is an indication of the government’s commitment to investing in the country’s children.

“They are the future of our country,” he said.

Adrian Hill of the University of Oxford said in a statement that the Ivory Coast rollout “marks the beginning of a new era in malaria control,” adding that he hopes the vaccine will soon be available to all countries in Africa that have adopted it. want to use.

Still, because malaria vaccines do not stop the spread of the disease, experts have long warned that other measures, such as spraying insecticides, improving treatments and using bed nets, will remain critical.

The Gavi vaccine alliance, which helps poor countries buy vaccines, said other countries including the Central African Republic, Chad and South Sudan also received supplies of the photo developed in Oxford.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.