World Health Organization to donate 1.6 million doses of the malaria vaccine to Cameroon

The World Health Organization (WHO) is mapping plans to donate 1.6 million doses of malaria vaccine to Cameroon through its partnership program. The Central African nation will receive the vaccine in December 2023 and introduce it into the vaccination routine in January 2024.

This is a remarkable development for Cameroon, which is one of the most malaria-endemic countries in the world. Cameroon recorded 245.1 cases of malaria per 100,000 people in 2021. Figures of malaria cases in Cameroon increased to reach a level of 245.1 cases per 100,000 people in 2021, after going through a trough and reaching a low of 242.3 cases per 100,000 people in 2019.

The WHO has announced that the malaria vaccine it will donate is called RTS,S. The WHO has recommended the first and only malaria vaccine for widespread use. Reports say RTS,S has shown effectiveness in reducing malaria cases and deaths in children.

Introducing RTS,S into the vaccination routine in Cameroon will go a long way towards fighting the disease, experts have said. The vaccine will protect children from malaria, which causes death in children under the age of five. It will also play a valuable role in the fight against malaria, protecting children from this deadly disease.

“Nearly every minute, a child under 5 years old dies of malaria,” said UNICEF Associate Director of Immunization Ephrem T. Lemango while announcing the vaccine allocation in July this year.

“For a long time, these deaths have been preventable and treatable, but the roll-out of this vaccine will give children, especially in Africa, an even better chance at surviving. As supply increases, we hope even more children can benefit from this life-saving advancement,” Lemango added.

Cameroon’s introduction of RTS,S into the vaccination routine is also a significant milestone. A malaria vaccine has been recommended for widespread use in Africa for the first time.

Donating RTS,S to Cameroon proves the WHO’s commitment to fighting malaria in Africa. African governments are closely collaborating with the WHO to introduce RTS,S into vaccination routines across the continent.

The minister of public health in Cameroon, Manaouda Malachi, has praised the initiative of the WHO and urged Cameroonian parents to prepare for the administration of the vaccine to their children in early 2024.