Cameroon launches world's 1st malaria vaccine campaign

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – In a groundbreaking move to address the persistent threat of malaria, Cameroon on Monday started the world's first vaccination campaign against the disease.

At a press briefing on Monday, Mohammed Abdulaziz, the head of Disease Control at the Africa Centre for Disease Controls, said the historic step brings hope in the fight against the deadly mosquito-borne disease, which kills hundreds of thousands of people annually, particularly children, in Africa.

"The vaccination is a life-saving intervention, a beacon of hope in our collective effort to combat the devastating impact of malaria," Abdulaziz said.

He also added that Cameroon, with its high malaria burden, especially in young children, was seen as a prime candidate for the expanded rollout.

The rollout, supported by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the Vaccine Alliance Gavi, will see the systematic integration of the vaccine called "RTS, S" into Central African nation's routine childhood immunization schedule.

Aurelia Nguyen, chief program officer at Gavi, noted that the first rollout will see the introduction of the RTS, S vaccine in 42 districts.

According to health authorities, young children will receive the malaria vaccine alongside other essential vaccinations, ensuring wider and sustained coverage.

The RTS, S malaria vaccine is administered in a 4-dose schedule to children living in areas with moderate to high malaria transmission.

The recommended age for starting the series is 5 months old, with subsequent doses given at monthly intervals until the child reaches 9 months of age.

A booster dose is then recommended at 2 years of age.

According to the World Health Organization's 2021 World Malaria Report, Sub-Saharan Africa still accounts for roughly 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of deaths.

Children under five bear the brunt of the disease, with an estimated 263,000 lives lost in 2020 alone.