Cameroon takes leap in health sector by rolling out new malaria vaccines!
Cameroon, in Africa, becomes the first country to start the routine vaccine programme against malaria.
The World Health Organization (WHO)-approved RTS, S vaccine will be administered to the population through a routine programme.
It is expected that 19 other countries will also roll out this programme very soon.
Caroline Badefona, manager of Cliniques des Anges hospital in Douala said, “We are proud to have this programme in place because it will eradicate malaria in children aged six to 59 months.”
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Aurelia Nguyen, chief program officer at the Gavi vaccines alliance said “The vaccination will save lives. It will provide major relief to families and the country’s health system.”
What is malaria?
Malaria is a serious and sometimes life-threatening infectious disease caused by parasites of the Plasmodium species. The disease is primarily transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. There are several species of Plasmodium that can infect humans, with Plasmodium falciparum being the most deadly.
What is the malaria situation?
Despite the measures taken by many countries, malaria control still needs to be tackled. According to the 2023 World Malaria Report. there was an estimated 249 million cases in 2022.
Extreme weather conditions such as heatwaves and flooding, can also directly impact transmission and disease burden. For example, the catastrophic flooding in Pakistan in 2022, led to a five-fold increase in malaria cases in the country.
Covid-19 disruptions, drug resistance and humanitarian crises are other factors that pose threat to the global malaria response.
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Africa and Malaria
According to the WHO official website, “The WHO African Region continues to shoulder the heaviest malaria burden, comprising 94% of cases and 95% of deaths globally.”
Africa bears the highest malaria burden, accounting for 94% of cases and 95% of global malaria deaths in 2022.
The World Health Organization (WHO) posted “WHO-recommended life-saving #malaria vaccines will soon be reach children through routine immunization programmes across Africa, beginning with Cameroon. This is a historic step towards wider vaccination against one of the deadliest diseases for African children”
Today marks a historic milestone in public health.
RTS,S malaria vaccine is finally introduced after 30+ years of development.
Cameroon is the first in Africa to roll out this vaccine.
I encourage @_AfricanUnion Member States to join Cameroon in rolling out this vaccine. pic.twitter.com/tVwxAZoyeC
— Jean Kaseya (@JeanKaseya2) January 22, 2024
Other ways to prevent Malaria include:
- The use of insecticide-treated bed nets to reduce mosquito bites, antimalarial medications for travelers to endemic areas, and, in some cases, preventive treatment for pregnant women in high-risk areas.
- Vector control measures, such as mosquito control programs, are also essential in malaria-endemic regions.
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