In Cameroon, all children under six months will be able to receive the malaria vaccine free of charge. It is the first large-scale and systematic vaccination campaign in the world.
- Cameroon is the first country in the world to launch a systematic and large-scale vaccination campaign.
- All children under six months will be able to receive the vaccine free of charge, at the same time as other vaccines.
- In 2021, 3,800 people died from malaria in Cameroon.
Cameroon is rolling out a vast vaccination campaign against malaria. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this in a communicated, published Monday January 22. “Cameroon today launched the RTS,S malaria vaccine in its expanded immunization programme, becoming the first country to do so outside of the pilot malaria vaccination program in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi., indicates the document. Concretely, children under six months will now be able to receive this vaccine free of charge, at the same time as other traditional vaccines.
The vaccine, a tool in the fight against malaria
Cameroon is one of the 11 countries most affected by malaria in the world. In 2021, more than 3 million cases and more than 3,800 deaths have been recorded. As the disease is transmitted by mosquitoes, prevention involves protection against bites. But some insects are increasingly resistant to insecticide products. “The vaccine is an additional tool in the fight against malaria, recalls Dr Shalom Ndoula, permanent secretary of the Expanded Immunization Program in Cameroon. (…) It will specifically target all children aged six months by December 31, 2023.” In November, more than 300,000 doses of the RTS,S vaccine from the GSK laboratory were delivered to Cameroon, other doses should follow to be able to implement this vast vaccination campaign.
Two vaccines available against malaria
“Since October 2021, WHO has recommended wide use of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine in children in areas with moderate to high transmission of P. falciparum malaria, warns the organization. The vaccine has been shown to significantly reduce malaria morbidity and mortality in young children.” Since October 2023, a second anti-malaria vaccine has been considered safe and effective by the WHO: R21/Matrix-M. “The availability of two malaria vaccines should enable large-scale deployment across Africa., estimates the organization. Nine countries on the continent plan to launch vaccination campaigns this year.
Malaria: a serious illness in children
According to WHO, the African region accounted for 94% of malaria cases in 2022, and 95% of deaths from the disease. “Children under five years old accounted for 80% of malaria deaths in the Region., adds the organization. Younger people are more likely to suffer from serious infection. This manifests itself in extreme fatigue, impaired consciousness, convulsions, respiratory problems or even yellowing of the eyes and skin. In Africa, the first child malaria vaccination programs were launched in 2019. In Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, two million children have been vaccinated so far.
