The Aedes aegypti mosquito not only transmits malaria, but also yellow fever and dengue fever. The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the RTS,S malaria vaccine for use in children in African countries. At a press conference in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was ready for widespread use after successful trials in three African countries.
“I began my medical career studying malaria,” he said. “Since then, I have dreamed that the world would have an effective vaccine against this ancient and terrible disease. Today, that day, that historic day, has come.”
Malaria is caused by parasitic microorganisms that destroy blood cells when they invade the human body. To date, malaria has been treated with drugs that kill parasites, bed nets that protect against disease-carrying mosquito bites, and insecticides. These interventions have reduced the number of malaria cases, but recently the number of people infected has started to rise again in some African countries, such as Eritrea and Sudan. In 2019, 409,000 people will die from malaria, including more than 270,000 children under the age of five. Almost all deaths occur in tropical Africa.
The licensed RTS,S vaccine, also known as M-Squirix, was developed by the British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and has been tested in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, where it has been administered to more than 800,000 children. However, its effectiveness was low, preventing the disease in 39% of children and saving them from severe malaria in only 29% of cases. The World Health Organization recommends the use of vaccines when their effectiveness exceeds 75%. However, a study conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in August showed that the combined use of vaccines and antimalarial drugs reduced hospitalizations and deaths by 70%.
Vaccination in Kenya, one of the countries where the vaccine was tested. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what happens next. Episodes End of story: Podcast Advertising Thomas Brear, Director of Vaccine Development at GSK, noted that it took decades of collaboration between our experts and our partners to develop RTS,S. “We are very proud that children in tropical African countries will now receive it,” he added. And Professor of LSHTM, Sir Brian Greenwood, said that although this vaccine does not provide absolute protection against the disease, the decision of the WHO to begin its widespread distribution is evidence that the world is determined to defeat this disease. “Potentially it (the vaccine) can reduce mortality and the number of cases in the most dangerous areas, especially if used in combination with other measures,” the scientist noted. Now that the first vaccine has been approved by the WHO, efforts to develop more effective tools are likely to continue. Earlier this year, scientists at the Jenner Institute at Oxford University reported that their malaria vaccine was 77% effective. The first phase of the trial involved 450 children from Burkina Faso. The second phase will involve 4800 children from four African countries.