WHO Approves the First Malaria Vaccine
By Patience Asanga Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels It is safe to say that most people in this part of the world has, at one point or another, been infected with the malaria parasite. According to the WHO’s 2020 world malaria report , Nigeria accounts for 27% of the world’s malaria cases with 23% of the total deaths as of 2019, thereby making it the country with the highest number of malaria cases in the world. In this light, the re commendation of RTS, S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine for children, who are the most vulnerable to the disease, is a great development in the long-lasting fight against malaria in Nigeria. The announcement was made on the 6th of October 2021 by the WHO Director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who described the moment as historic and a breakthrough for children’s health. “This is a historic moment. The long-awaited malaria vaccine is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control.” He said, “using this vaccine on...