Historic turning point in the fight against malaria.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the mass use of the first malarial vaccine for children, which can be used in particular in sub-Saharan Africa and other areas at risk: "It is a historic moment - he said in a note the director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus -. The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and the fight against malaria ".
The result is the fruit of a decade of clinical trials in seven African countries.
According to the WHO, the RTS malaria vaccine, S / AS01, produced by the British pharmaceutical multinational GlaxoSmithKline, is expected to be distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, following the success of the pilot immunization programs in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. For Tedros, this serum "could save tens of thousands of young lives every year".
After more than 2.3 million doses administered, the vaccine has been shown to be safe and lead to a 30% reduction in severe malaria. There was also no negative impact on other routine vaccines or other preventive measures.
Malaria kills 400,000 people every year: in 2019 more than 260,000 children died in Africa alone.
(Unioneonline / D)
