What Malawi’s new Malaria vaccine mean for Kenya – facts

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In a mega breakthrough for the continent, Malawi launched the world’s first malaria vaccine in a landmark programme to prevent a disease that kills hundreds of thousands, mostly children, across Africa and around the world each year.

World Health Organization (WHO) says Malawi has become the first country to begin immunizing children against malaria, using the only licensed vaccine to protect against the mosquito-spread disease.

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The parasitic disease kills about 435,000 people every year, the majority of them children under 5 in Africa.

Malawi, Ghana and Kenya were selected for the rollout because their malaria rates are high and they have a long history of use of bed nets and other preventative measures.

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After more than three decades in development and almost $1-billion in investment, the most advanced vaccine yet has been rolled out in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe, before it is extended to Kenya and Ghana in coming weeks.

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It aims to immunise 360,000 children aged two years and under in the three countries to assess the effectiveness of the pilot vaccine and whether the delivery process is feasible.

“Malaria is a constant threat in the African communities where this vaccine will be given. The poorest children suffer the most and are at highest risk of death,” saidDr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

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“We know the power of vaccines to prevent killer diseases and reach children, including those who may not have immediate access to the doctors, nurses and health facilities they need to save them when severe illness comes.”

“This is a day to celebrate as we begin to learn more about what this tool can do to change the trajectory of malaria through childhood vaccination,” she added.

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WHO believes that the new vaccine brings a key new tool beyond mosquito nets, insecticides and drugs in the battle against the disease which kills a child every two minutes.

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The vaccine, known as Mosquirix, was developed by GlaxoSmithKline and was approved by the European Medicines Agency in 2015.

A previous trial showed the vaccine was about 30% effective in children who got four doses, but that protection waned over time.

Reported side effects include pain, fever and convulsions.

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