World Health Organization, WHO, Regional Office in Africa, has promised to remain fully committed to the fight against malaria through close collaboration with governments, partners and communities.
In a message to mark World Malaria Day 2022, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, noted that there have been significant breakthroughs in malaria prevention and control, in the past years despite the COVID-19 pandemic especially the landmark recommendations on the use of the first vaccine against malaria -RTS, which were released by the World Health Organization late last year.
According to her, the vaccine which will be used to prevent malaria among children aged six months to five years, who live in moderate- to high-transmission settings is a groundbreaking advance in the development of new tools to fight the disease, with the potential to save millions of lives, but supplies are currently limited hence, it is important to ensure that the doses available are utilized for maximum impact while ensuring the continued availability of other preventive measures to those most at risk.
She said Malaria remains a significant public health and development challenge as about ninety-five percent of the estimated two hundred and twenty-eight million cases last year, occurred in the WHO/AFRO Region, with six hundred and two thousand, and twenty reported deaths.
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