World: New evidence confirms malaria vaccine saves child lives and will have high impact in wider rollout

Country: World Source: World Health Organization Findings of a rigorous evaluation of the public health use of the RTS, S malaria vaccine, published today in The Lancet, confirm significant reduction in child deaths in the first African countries to offer the vaccine. Over a period of four years, an estimated 1 in 8 child deaths were averted among those eligible to receive the malaria vaccine in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. According to the authors, positive impact is likely to be as high or higher in other African countries now offering malaria vaccines to young children in areas of high malaria burden. The evaluation assessed data generated through the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP), which examined the outcomes of malaria vaccine introduction in the first three countries from 2019 to 2023. “This is very solid evidence of the potential for malaria vaccines to change the trajectory of child mortality in Africa, and why it is urgent to overcome funding challenges to accelerate rollout. Demand is high and supply is sufficient, but more financing is needed so that countries can purchase enough vaccine, along with other malaria prevention tools, to reach all the kids most at risk of serious disease or death, ” said Dr Kate O’Brien, WHO Director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals and co-author of the evaluation. Despite global progress, malaria continues to take a devastating toll on children in Africa. In 2024, an estimated 438 000 African children died from the disease. Tens of thousands of lives could be saved every year through the wide implementation of WHO-recommended malaria vaccines, RTS, S or R21. WHO recommends an integrated approach because the highest impact on malaria is achieved when countries apply a combination of preventive, diagnostic and treatment strategies. “Malaria vaccination strengthens the response and increases access to malaria prevention in countries that use a mix of proven interventions to optimize impact substantially in moderate and high transmission areas, ” said Dr Daniel Ngamije Madandi, WHO Director of the Department of Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases. Vaccine schedule opens door to additional health interventions According to the study authors, the additional health visits required to deliver the four-dose malaria vaccine schedule provide opportunities for simultaneously delivering other childhood vaccines such as measles or meningitis vaccine, and additional health interventions, such as vitamin A or insecticide-treated nets (ITN). Furthermore, the evaluation confirmed that malaria vaccine introduction has no negative consequences on uptake of other childhood vaccines or use of other malaria prevention measures such as ITNs. The authors report that a considerable segment of children who were not using ITNs received the malaria vaccine during the study period, increasing the proportion of children with access to at least one form of malaria prevention, either the malaria vaccine, an ITN, or both. Urgent need to accelerate rollout to save more lives Today, 25 endemic countries in Africa are offering malaria vaccines as part of childhood immunization programmes and national malaria control plans. More than 10 million children each year are targeted for malaria vaccination across these countries. These countries have a malaria burden that is at least as high or higher than that measured in the areas of the countries evaluated, and positive impact is likely to be as great, if not greater, as observed in the study if similar levels of vaccine coverage can be achieved. Although current supply of WHO-recommended malaria vaccines can meet the high demand in countries, funding constraints are preventing many countries from scaling up malaria vaccination to their national targets and sustaining coverage levels already achieved. The results of the evaluation highlight the urgency to accelerate the deployment of malaria vaccines in areas where malaria continues to be a leading cause of child mortality, conclude the authors. The evaluation involved scientists and public health specialists from WHO, Africa-based research institutions, and other premier health research institutions. Primary MVIP evaluation partners and co-authors are from WHO, Kintampo Health Research Centre in Ghana, Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust in Kenya, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in Malawi, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other institutions (see full list in publication ). WHO Media Team World Health Organization Email: mediainquiries@who. int

Read full story on Reliefweb