UNICEF Supply’s Post

The Fight against Malaria Malaria killed more than 600,000 people across the world in 2022. The vast majority of those deaths occurred in Africa in children under the age of 5. But there’s hope in new vaccines. RTS,S/AS01 (brand name Mosquirix) is the first malaria vaccine approved for public use, which unfortunately requires multiple does and only reduces hospitalizations by 30%. The most effective malaria vaccine which has just been accepted by WHO is R21/Matrix-M, with 77% efficacy shown in initial trials, but which also requires multiple doses. A number of other vaccines are in development. In a historic moment in the fight against malaria, Cameroon became the first country in Africa to launch a new vaccine campaign to inoculate hundreds of thousands of children against the deadly disease. International Alliance of Women hopes that our Associate members in Cameroon: Bali Women’s Union of Farming Groups, CEFAP – Ladies Circle, and Reseau national des associations de tantines (RENATA) National Network of Aunties Association will be seeing evidence of these vaccines in their communities. International Alliance of Women (Alliance Internationale Des Femmes) Anne pelagie YOTCHOU TZUDJOM

We're excited to announce the rollout of a second malaria vaccine, R21, developed by the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. This is a crucial step towards ending this devastating disease. Malaria claims the lives of hundreds of thousands each year, mostly children, with a child still dying every minute. Developed with British-backed science, these vaccines will help save countless children's lives and bring us closer to a world without malaria. But to fully realise their potential, we must combine them with other tools like next-generation bed nets and more effective insecticides. It's time for governments, including the UK, to step up and fund both Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the The Global Fund. By working together we can ensure innovative malaria tools get to those who need them most.

The world now has two safe and effective #malaria vaccines that have shown remarkable results. 🌍 💉 In places where the first malaria vaccines have been administered in young children, all-cause mortality has declined by 13%, meaning that children who are free from severe malaria infection also avoid other illnesses that claim lives in these vulnerable communities. The continued rollout of malaria vaccines across Africa will be a critical step in driving down deaths, protecting millions of children, and moving closer toward #ZeroMalaria. #WorldMosquitoDay #EndMalaria African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, The Global Fund, Malaria Consortium, Malaria No More UK, Medicines for Malaria Venture, PATH, PMI Impact Malaria, RBM Partnership to End Malaria, Target Malaria, United to Beat Malaria, USAID

https://lnkd.in/d6PhGwB9 New fronts are opening in the war against malaria After years of stalemate, ground-breaking vaccines and better nets are raising hopes May 30th 2024 Millions of parents in Africa know the worry of caring for a child with malaria. Many know the grief of losing one. But two new vaccines give hope. The first, rts,s/as01, has been tried on nearly 2m children in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi since 2019, and is being used in seven more countries this year. The second, r21/Matrix-m, which is being made in larger volumes at less than half the price, started shipping on May 24th to the Central African Republic.

So many wonderful people and organizations have played a role in the development, piloting, and now the rollout of the RTS,S malaria vaccine! MedAccess stepped in at a critical point to enable vaccine continued vaccine manufacturing--one reason why 8 countries are now implementing RTS,S. One little correction to the post (those who know me are familiar with my penchant for accuracy), RTS,S was shown to have 39% efficacy over FOUR years of follow-up in the pivotal efficacy and safety Phase 3 trial (2009-2014); efficacy over one year was greater than 50%; and in a later trial (2017-2022), RTS,S was shown to have close to 75% efficacy over one year when administered prior to the rainy season. Related to the above, when you hear that a malaria vaccine has XX% efficacy, always ask "over what period?" and "in what setting?" And then, "what was the impact?" All for now during World Immunization Week!

🦟 Back in 2021, the RTS,S malaria vaccine faced the threat of a halt in manufacturing, which would have resulted in millions of children not having access to the vaccine. Big policy and funding decisions hadn't been made yet and future demand for the product remained highly uncertain. To prevent a halt in manufacturing, an innovative financing agreement between MedAccess, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and GSK created a pathway for production to continue while key decisions were being made. Today, RTS,S is part of many countries' routine immunisation schedules, protecting children against malaria. #HumanlyPossible | #WorldImmunizationWeek | #WorldMalariaDay https://lnkd.in/gpS5N3V8

MALARIA IN GUYANA 65,000 cases in 1995 down to 20,000 cases in 2023 Can this FIRST OF A KIND Malaria vaccine bring it down even further? The name of the vaccine is "Mosquirix" or "RTS,S/ASO1" or "R21/Matrix-M". 13% drop in mortality from Malaria & a decrease in severe hospitalisations. As of Oct 2023, WHO recommends (considered safe & pre-qualified) this malaria vaccine for children in high-transmission areas for the prevention of P.falciparum to be given in a schedule of 5 doses. High-transmission areas are priority but low-transmission areas can also benefit based on country decision. This vaccine should be considered within the context of the country's national plan for Malaria. 

Thank you, Lord! Our latest article on the Oxford's R21/Matrix-M vaccine has been published in one of the world's leading journals of malaria, the Malaria journal. In Nigeria, malaria isn't just a disease condition; it's practically a household name for every symptom. Many families self-diiagnose and attempt to treat this condition. But here's a game-changer we're excited about! The R21/Matrix-M™ Malaria Vaccine, a collab between Oxford University and Novavax. For instance, in 2021, over 247 million people got sick, and 600,000 died from malaria in 85 countries. Thankfully, the World Health Organization (WHO) is giving a go-ahead to this vaccine, and it's something we're excited about. This new vaccine, like RTS,S, brings hope in the fight against malaria. It showed 77% effectiveness in tests. In addition, it's relatively cheap and suitable for use in younger age groups. Collectively, we are a step closer to a world without malaria. #Malaria #Vaccine #R21MatrixM #WHO #HealthHeroes #globalhealth

Cameroon starts world-first malaria mass vaccine rollout The world's first routine vaccine programme against malaria has started in Cameroon, in a move projected to save thousands of children's lives across Africa. Every year 600,000 people die of malaria in Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Children under five make up at least 80% of those deaths. Cameroon is offering the RTS,S vaccine free of charge to all infants up to the age of six months old. Patients require a total of four doses. Health officials say these will be given at the same time as other routine childhood vaccines to make it easier for parents. It comes after successful pilot campaigns in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi - where the vaccine caused a 13% drop in malaria deaths in children of eligible age, says Unicef. https://lnkd.in/gZqPjK_x

World's first malaria vaccine program for children starts in Cameroon