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Scientists in the UK are aiding in the implementation of the world’s inaugural regular malaria vaccination initiative.
The Mosquirix vaccine, also referred to as RTS,S, was created by the British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in partnership with the Path Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), a group dedicated to expediting the progress of malaria vaccines.
In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised for widespread adoption of this for children living in Africa.
For nearly 30 years, scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and The Medical Research Council Unit based in The Gambia have collaborated with community members and volunteers in Africa to study, create, and administer the vaccine.
Starting on Monday, January 22, it will be implemented for regular usage as a component of the childhood vaccination program in Africa, beginning with Cameroon.
According to Professor Umberto D’Alessandro, who is the director of MRCG at LSHTM, the RTS,S vaccine can now be used as a standard vaccination because of the collaborative efforts of African researchers and international partners. The clinical trials for this vaccine began at MRCG at LSHTM in 1997.
Volunteers and communities from both The Gambia and the surrounding region have played a crucial role in demonstrating the safety and life-saving potential of RTS,S, the first malaria vaccine in the world.
According to data from the World Health Organization, approximately 249 million people worldwide were diagnosed with malaria and 608,000 individuals died from the disease in 2022. These cases and deaths occurred in 85 different countries.
The malaria vaccine RTS,S is now available and can be implemented in regions with high rates of malaria, beginning with Cameroon. This can potentially reinvigorate efforts to combat malaria that have been put on hold.
Approximately 80% of malaria-related deaths in the African region were among children under the age of five.
The World Health Organization suggests giving four doses of medication to children at approximately five months old, and a fifth dose may be necessary after one year if living in a high-risk area.
RTS,S functions by triggering the body’s immune system to react to an antigen present on the exterior of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite transmitted through the bites of female Anopheles mosquitoes into the blood.
According to clinical studies, administering the RTS,S vaccine prior to the rainy season and combining it with anti-malarial medication can decrease the mortality rate of children by approximately 66%.
According to Professor D’Alessandro, a trial conducted in Burkina Faso and Mali over a period of five years, starting in 2017, demonstrated the importance of administering the RTS,S vaccine and antimalarial drugs before the rainy season. This approach significantly decreased the number of severe malaria cases and deaths among children by almost two thirds.
We now have a malaria vaccine called RTS,S that can be implemented in malaria-prone areas around the world, starting with Cameroon. This can help to revitalize efforts to control malaria which had previously slowed down.
In the meantime, the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially approved R21, a second vaccine created by Oxford University. This is a significant milestone in ensuring that the vaccine can be used worldwide.
Source: independent.co.uk
