The world’s first malaria vaccine, after 30 years in the making was deployed in some sub-Saharan African countries in a pilot program including; Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, since 2019 with funding from: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and,  the Unitaid.

The RTS,S vaccine is the first malaria vaccine to be approved by WHO for children in sub Saharan Africa where malaria kills at least 260.000 children under the age of 5. The vaccine was approved for by WHO in October.

In Western Kenya, more than 100.000 children have been vaccinated,  with another group that has received at least 1 dose of RTS,S. The Mosquirex vaccine requires 4 injections however to be completed.

Even with partial protection from the vaccine, the reports from western Kenya are encouraging with less admissions on malaria patients in pediatrics.

A tale is told of a mother of 3 who frequently visited a hospital in western Kenya for her children due to Malaria – taking all her children for the jab and thus finding relief. She doesn’t frequent the hospital anymore.

COURTESY PHOTOS.