The first proven malaria vaccine will be tested in three African countries next year, the World Health Organization has announced. The vaccine is expected to help save tens of thousands of lives by preventing children from contracting the disease, which continues to kill 430,000 people each year.
"The prospect of a malaria vaccine is big news," says Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. "The information gathered in the pilot will help us make decisions about the wider use of this vaccine. In combination with existing interventions against malaria, such a vaccine would have the potential to save tens of thousands of lives in Africa. "
The first countries to receive the RTS, S vaccine will be Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, and more than 750,000 children will be vaccinated between five and 17 months of age. While the vaccine has achieved some success in laboratory experiments, researchers are not sure whether this will translate into effective control in the real world, so it will only be run in three countries as a pilot test.
This is because the vaccine requires an intensive treatment program. Those receiving the medication will receive one dose every month for one trimester and then a fourth dose 18 months later. It is crucial that the patient receives the four doses, since the effectiveness of the vaccine decreases significantly if the latter is not administered. It is for this reason that doctors are not sure of the viability of this vaccine in some of the poorest countries on Earth.
In their tests, it has been found that the complete treatment prevents up to four out of 10 cases of the disease. This, although it may not seem like much, calculates that could translate into saving tens of thousands of lives. Not only that, but it is also thought to reduce the worst cases of malaria by as much as a third.
Its real power, however, could evolve if combined with other preventive measures, such as mosquito nets. This is another reason why Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have been chosen for this pilot, as these nations already have other preventive programs in their territories, while at the same time they continue to have a high burden of disease present.
Each country will decide for itself which region will host its pilot experience, but it is expected that priority will be given to those areas which currently have the highest rates. It is believed that the information gathered from this pilot experience will inform subsequent decisions on whether or not it is feasible to increase the vaccine to larger territorial scales.