Malaria, also known as malaria, is a deadly disease that affects millions of people around the world, especially children. However, good news has just been announced: the World Health Organization (WHO) has approved a second safe and effective vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, to prevent malaria in children at risk.
This WHO authorization represents an important step in the fight against malaria. Indeed, the R21/Matrix-M vaccine is added to the first vaccine, the RTS,S, which had already been recommended in 2021. The two vaccines demonstrated similar rates of effectiveness, around 75%, when they are administered under the same conditions.
These vaccines therefore offer a new weapon in the fight against malaria, a disease which caused the death of 619,000 people worldwide in 2021. Children are particularly vulnerable to this disease, hence the importance of developing specific vaccines to protect them.
R21/Matrix-M is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and has already been authorized for use in some countries such as Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso. Once the regulatory aspects are finalized, Unicef and the Vaccine Alliance will be able to administer this vaccine to children at risk.
The cost of this vaccine is estimated to be between $2 and $4 per dose, making it comparable to other recommended methods for malaria and other childhood vaccines. This facilitates its accessibility for countries wishing to integrate it into their vaccination programs.
The WHO estimates that by 2026, up to 60 million doses of malaria vaccine could be required each year, a figure that could rise to 100 million by 2030. This demonstrates the scale of the malaria problem, but also the hope that these vaccines can bring to reduce deaths linked to this disease.
In addition to this advance in the fight against malaria, the WHO has also recommended new vaccines to fight dengue and meningitis. These advances in infectious disease prevention are great news for public health and highlight the continued importance of research and development of new vaccines.
In conclusion, the authorization of a second malaria vaccine by the WHO is a major step forward in the fight against this deadly disease, particularly in children. These vaccines offer hope for reducing the prevalence of malaria worldwide and saving lives. With this new weapon at our disposal, it is essential that we continue to promote vaccination and support efforts to eliminate malaria once and for all.