The World Health Organisation (WHO) has hailed the malaria vaccine as “safe and effective,” resulting in a substantial decrease in severe malaria cases. Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus, speaking in New York, emphasised that the new vaccine has also contributed to a decline in child mortality rates.
Announcing the progress, Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stated, “As the first vaccine against malaria, the RTS,S vaccine has now been administered to over 1.6 million children in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi. It has demonstrated its safety and efficacy, leading to a significant reduction in severe malaria cases and child deaths.”
However, the director for Immunisation, Vaccines, and Biologicals cautioned that despite this new addition to the arsenal, it remains crucial to remember that a child dies of malaria almost every minute.
Katherine O’Brien, WHO Director of Immunisation, Vaccines, and Biologicals, added, “I believe it is vital to remember that almost every minute, a child succumbs to malaria. The introduction of the malaria vaccine as an additional tool in the fight against this severe disease and the associated deaths is a crucial step forward.”
According to previous studies conducted by the United Nations, climate change has facilitated an increase in the population of mosquitoes carrying malaria-like diseases.