A new vaccine is promising to advance the frontier of eliminating malaria
Simon Kariuki, Kenya Medical Research Institute More than 30 malaria vaccine candidates are at various stages of development. The RTS,S vaccine is at the most advanced stage. The World Health Organisation has recommended the introduction of the vaccine in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi as a pilot programme to assess its suitability in expanded immunisation programmes. The vaccine could prove to be a powerful tool in sustaining the gains made in the last decade in reducing malaria related cases and deaths. Between 2000 and 2015, new malaria cases fell by 37% globally, and by 42% in Africa. This has been achieved through key interventions such as using treated bed nets, spraying houses with insecticides and effective antimalarial drugs. Combined with existing malaria interventions, the vaccine would have the potential to save tens of thousands of lives in Africa. It’s important for two other reasons too. Firstly, it would reduce the cost of managing malaria. Historica