LILONGWE, Malawi – The landlocked country in southeast Africa has launched the pilot phase of Africa’s first ever malaria vaccine, as the World Health Organization marks World Malaria Day on 25 April.
The WHO chose Malawi, alongside Ghana and Kenya, because of the high numbers of malaria cases and treatment facilities. The pilot phase aims to vaccinate 360,000 children per year, 120,000 of them in Malawi. But, while the vaccine is expected to save thousands of lives, its effectiveness is limited, VOA reported.
Health officials at Malawi’s Likuni Community Hospital are giving children injections of Africa’s first malaria vaccine in a bid to prevent the spread and possible risks the disease.
The mosquito-spread disease kills more than 430,000 people per year, most of them African children, according to sources.
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