The development of effective vaccine against malaria was a hard nut to crack for over a century. But there is respite as scientists have successfully developed a novel malaria vaccine.
The RST, S/AS01 malaria vaccine which was highly recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) is a game-changer, raising high hopes of the total elimination of deaths from malaria. Pilot test of the vaccine began in 2019 in three African countries (Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi). Over 10 million doses of the vaccine have been donated by several sponsors of the project. With over 3 million doses of the vaccine so far administered, preliminary reports hints of its effectiveness in the reduction of children hospitalization and deaths with a favorable safety profile. The RST, S/AS01 malaria vaccine was developed by the Pharmaceutical giant GSK and is the first malaria vaccine to be recommended for use by WHO.
The RST, S/AS01 malaria vaccine was developed by the Pharmaceutical giant GSK and is the first malaria vaccine to be recommended for use by WHO.
A second malaria vaccine candidate, the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, developed by Scientists at Oxford University is currently undergoing Phase III clinical trials in four African countries. The results of this trial are highly anticipated and if successful will inform WHO policies for its use in the general population. The phase III clinical trial is expected to document the vaccine safety, efficacy, various levels of protection it offers in different conditions of malaria and should provide adequate data for the vaccine evaluation by relevant regulatory and advisory bodies. These advances are praiseworthy breakthroughs by scientists in combating the killer disease, Malaria.
The R21/Matrix-M
Malaria is an acute febrile disease that is caused by plasmodium, a parasite which is spread by female Anopheles mosquitoes. According to WHO, about 247 million cases of malaria was estimated in in 2021 worldwide with estimated deaths of about 619000. The initial symptoms of malaria include fever, headache, flu-like disease and even chills. These symptoms appear within 10 – 15 days of bite by infected mosquitoes.
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