Cameroon recently acquired its inaugural consignment of Mosquirix malaria vaccines, produced by the British pharmaceutical company GSK Plc, arriving late on Tuesday. This development is particularly significant for the nation as it grapples with the pervasive mosquito-borne ailment, responsible for claiming over 600,000 lives annually on a global scale.
Yaounde’s Nsimalen International Airport recently witnessed the arrival of a consignment comprising 331,200 doses of the vaccine, commonly recognized as RTS, S. Notably, this marks a milestone for Cameroon as the initial African nation to receive the vaccine after the pilot initiatives in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.
As per the World Health Organization, malaria persists as one of Africa’s most lethal diseases. In 2021 alone, it claimed the lives of nearly half a million children under the age of five. Alarmingly, Africa accounted for approximately 95% of the global malaria cases during that year.
Cameroon’s Health Minister, Manaouda Malachie, disclosed that the inaugural shipment of vaccines is slated for distribution across 42 health districts out of the nation’s total of 203.
Addressing reporters at Nsimalen, Health Minister Manaouda Malachie emphasized the impact of malaria on the nation, stating, “We lose many compatriots who die because of this disease. Today, we have a vaccine which comes to add to the panoply of measures already rolled out.”
GSK reports that over 1.7 million children in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi have already received a minimum of one dose of the vaccine. Furthermore, the company plans to extend its deployment to an additional nine malaria-endemic countries, including Cameroon, commencing early next year.