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After 30 years of trials, the first global vaccine against malaria called RTS, S is finally ready to be tested on children.
It is used in Malawi as part of a large-scale pilot project led by the World Health Organization (WHO). The vaccine, also known as Mosquirix, works by forming the immune system to attack the malaria parasite.
Over the next few weeks, it will be used to vaccinate 120,000 children aged two and under by Ghana and Kenya. These three countries were chosen because of the high number of malaria cases.
A child with malaria and malnutrition rests on a bed in a hospital on March 15, 2014. REUTERS / Andreea Campeanu
The vaccine would be administered four times: once a month for three months, then a fourth dose 18 months later. 360,000 children are expected to receive injectable vaccines by one year.
It was created in 1987 by scientists of the British pharmaceutical giant GSK. In clinical trials, about 4 out of 10 cases of malaria, including 3 out of 10 serious cases of life-threatening malaria, have been prevented.
"The distribution of the world's first malaria vaccine will help reduce the burden of one of the most pressing health problems in the world.This new tool is the result of the collaboration of GSK employees with their partners, who uses the latest scientific advances in vaccines to contribute to the fight against malaria. " says the doctor Thomas Breuer, Chief Medical Officer of GSK Vaccines.
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RTS, S should be added to the Malaria Prevention Toolkit. The measures recommended by WHO include the use of insecticide-treated bednets, the spraying of insecticides in the interior, and the timely use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets. testing and treatment of malaria.
Malaria in Africa
Malaria is one of the leading causes of death in the world. According to WHO statistics, a child dies every two minutes from this disease.
These deaths are predominant in Africa, where more than 250,000 children die each year from this disease. Children under 5 are particularly affected by malaria.
This vaccine is very useful because recent data suggest that the fight against the disease is stalled on the continent and in other parts of the world.
"Over the past 15 years, bed nets and other malaria control measures have brought enormous benefits, but some progress has been halted and even reversed.We need new solutions to revive malaria control, and this vaccine gives us a promising tool to get there, "said Director General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "The malaria vaccine has the potential to save tens of thousands of child lives. "
In 2013, malaria killed an estimated 584,000 people.
"Malaria is a constant threat in African communities where this vaccine will be administered. The poorest children suffer the most and are most likely to die, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, also said. "We know the power of vaccines to prevent life-threatening illnesses and reach children, including those who may not have immediate access to the doctors, nurses, and health facilities they need to save them in the event serious illness. "
"It's a day to celebrate as we begin to learn more about what this tool can do to change the trajectory of malaria through immunization of children", she added.
About 10 million doses of vaccine have been donated for this pilot program in Africa.
The pilot project is funded by Gavi; Alliance Vaccine; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; UNITAID; l & # 39; WHO and GSK.
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