VANGUARD EDITORIAL
MALARIA is a life-threatening disease, transmitted through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. The disease has become a serious epidemic in Africa, where more than 90 per cent of malaria deaths occur. The WHO’s World Malaria Report 2020 estimated that there were 229 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2019, with most of these cases occurring in the WHO African Region (215 million or 94 per cent).
African children under the age of five bear the greatest burden of malaria, accounting for about two-thirds of all deaths annually. Pregnant women, who are more vulnerable to contracting malaria are also at high risk of severe disease and death if infected. Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa have endemic malaria, with transmission occurring throughout the year.
The journey towards the emergence of vaccines has been a long one, with various clinical trials conducted in the past decade. In 2015, the first malaria vaccine, RTS, S/AS01, was approved for use in Africa. The vaccine was developed by GlaxoSmithKline in partnership with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The vaccine, Mosquirix, targets the Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite and is designed to be given in four doses.
The role of vaccines in the effort to eradicate malaria cannot be overemphasized. The vaccine will help to reduce morbidity and mortality rates among children and pregnant women in Africa. The vaccine’s protection is not complete, but clinical trials have shown it reduces the number of clinical cases of malaria by around 30 per cent, and of severe malaria by around 50 per cent.
However, there are some fears that vaccines could contain secret toxins that could depopulate the continent in the future. These fears are unfounded and unsupported by scientific evidence, but it highlights the need for transparency throughout the vaccine development process.
