A total of 356 people died from malaria in Mozambique in 2023, a 16% decrease in deaths compared to 2022, the health minister announced this Thursday, signaling the start of vaccinations against the disease in June.
“Our happiness is that we have noticed a decrease in the number of inter-hospital deaths. [causados pela malária, comparado a 2022] where we recorded 423 deaths and 356 in 2023, a reduction of 16%,” said Armindo Tiago, Mozambique’s Minister of Health, during a ceremony to mark World Malaria Day in Maputo.
According to a Mozambique government official, the country recorded an increase of about 13.2 million cases of malaria in 2023 compared to 2022, when there were 12.4 million cases.
Noting the introduction of the malaria vaccine in the country, Armindo Thiago pointed to climate change, inadequate sanitation and lack of preventive measures as some of the elements that “determine the greatest impact of the disease” in Mozambique.
“We hope that if all goes well, we will be able to introduce the malaria vaccine in our country for the first time in June,” Mozambique’s health minister said.
Mozambique plans to introduce a new malaria vaccine in the second half of 2024, immunizing 600,000 children, National Malaria Program director Balthasar Candriño told Lusa this week.
The official added that R21/Matrix-M, the second childhood malaria vaccine developed by Oxford University in the United Kingdom and approved in October last year by the World Health Organization (WHO), will be used.
The vaccine to be used in Mozambique is the second recommended by WHO after RTS,S/AS01 in 2021, based on recommendations from the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG).
According to the WHO, both vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective in preventing malaria in children and are expected to have a major public health impact when used widely.
At least 28 countries in Africa plan to introduce a malaria vaccine recommended by the World Health Organization as part of their national immunization programs.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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