According to the annual World Malaria Report, 608,000 people died of Malaria in 2022, most of them in Africa. Indeed, in 2022, Africa was home to 94% of malaria cases in the world. Not surprising, the focus of the malaria vaccine developed is Africa. We had first shared here last year that the roll out of the vaccine developed by GSK will roll out early this year, and yesterday, Cameroon became the first country to launch a routine vaccine program, with 20 other African countries planning to introduce it this year. The vaccine, known as RTS,S or Mosquirix, which has the backing of the World Health Organization targets the deadliest strains of malaria spread by mosquitoes. The vaccine is administered in four doses to young children from five months of age. While its effectiveness of reducing the risk of severe malaria by about 30%, researchers believe giving it just before the malaria season could increase its efficacy. Logistics of administering multiple doses in remote areas pose challenges, but over 30 African countries have shown interest. The WHO estimates a growing demand for 40-60 million doses annually by 2026, and a second vaccine, R21 developed by Oxford University, is expected to help meet the demand.
