This was shared in a press release after it gained endorsement from WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus during their regular biannual meeting held from September 25 to 29.
Earlier in April, Nigeria became the second nation after Ghana, to grant approval for the R21 malaria vaccine. This particular vaccine called R21/Matrix-M, was developed by the University of Oxford and then produced and expanded by the Serum Institute of India. It's a momentous development as it marks only the second vaccine ever created to combat a disease that has inflicted immeasurable suffering throughout history.
In addition to the recommendation for the R21 vaccine, WHO has issued other key recommendations concerning vaccines, including those for dengue and meningitis, as well as immunization schedules and product suggestions for COVID-19. Furthermore, WHO addressed essential immunization program-related matters such as polio, Immunization Agenda 2030, and the recovery of immunization programs.
The R21 vaccine is now the second malaria vaccine recommended by WHO, following the earlier endorsement of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine in 2021. Both vaccines have demonstrated their safety and effectiveness in preventing malaria in children, and their widespread implementation is anticipated to have a substantial positive impact on public health.
Malaria, transmitted by mosquitoes, imposes a particularly heavy burden on children in the African Region, where nearly half a million children succumb to the disease each year. The demand for malaria vaccines has reached an unprecedented level; however, the supply of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine is limited.
To address this high demand, in July, 12 African countries were allocated a total of 18 million doses of RTS,S/AS01 for the period from 2023 to 2025. These allocations were distributed to nations including Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.
Now, with the inclusion of the R21 vaccine among WHO-recommended malaria vaccines, there is optimism for a sufficient vaccine supply to benefit all children residing in malaria-prone areas.
Dr. Ghebreyesus, WHO's Director-General, expressed his excitement, saying, "As a malaria researcher, I used to dream of the day we would have a safe and effective vaccine against malaria. Now we have two." He emphasized that this additional tool will accelerate protection for more children, drawing us closer to a malaria-free future.
