The Central African Republic (CAR) became the first country in the world to receive the new R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) in October last year, the UN agency said.
In a statement issued Friday evening, WHO said the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) airlifted more than 43,000 doses to the Central African Republic capital Bangui that same day, with more than 120,000 expected to arrive in the coming days.
“[A RCA é] “the first country to receive the R21 malaria vaccine for use in routine childhood immunization, marking another step forward in preventing the disease and saving children’s lives,” the organization said.
In 2021, WHO has already recommended the use of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, better known as Mosquirix, in areas with moderate to high malaria transmission.
Since 2019, through a WHO-coordinated programme, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have administered the vaccine to more than two million children, recording a 13% reduction in mortality and a significant reduction in the incidence of severe malaria.
In 2023, the organization approved the launch of Moskirix in addition to the approval of the second vaccine, P21/Matrix-M. The CAR is now the first country to receive the vaccine for routine use.
“With two products now available to countries, increasing the supply of malaria vaccines is a turning point for children’s survival and health,” said UNICEF Supply Director Leila Pakkala.
Malaria is one of the world’s deadliest diseases, killing around half a million children under the age of five every year in Africa.
The CAR has one of the highest rates of malaria in the world.
The WHO estimates that there were just over 1.7 million cases of malaria in the country in 2022, resulting in 5,180 deaths.
The Central African Republic, along with Chad, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Sudan and Uganda, are preparing to receive supplies of R21/Matrix-M.
Malaria is a disease caused by parasites that is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes.
Africa is the world’s leading source of malaria infection, accounting for about 95% of global malaria deaths and 94% of cases by 2022.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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