Malaria preventative vaccinations will be administered to children and youngsters in Niger

In the year 2021, the poor country of the Sahel was devastated by a plague that claimed the lives of 4,000 people, the majority of whom were young children.

Malaria Vaccine

Niamey-According to the health minister, who spoke with AFP, the government of Niger has given its blessing to the use of a groundbreaking British vaccine to protect children under the age of five from contracting malaria.

In the year 2021, the poor country of the Sahel was devastated by a plague that claimed the lives of 4,000 people, the majority of whom were young children.

Eliasson Mainassara reported late Thursday that the government of Niger has "given the green light to use... the RTS, S/AS01 vaccination for children from birth to five years old." The statement was made after the end of the workday.

The vaccine is expected to arrive in Niger within the next few months, and preparations have already begun for its arrival, he noted.

According to a statement released by the cabinet, Niger is one of the nations that the World Health Organization (WHO) has given its blessing to participate in the anti-malaria campaign.

After conducting an investigation of a pilot program that was carried out in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a recommendation in October 2021 for the "broad use" of the world's first malaria vaccination for children living in sub-Saharan Africa.

It was discovered that the RTS, S vaccine, which is manufactured by the British pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline, may significantly cut down on the number of children who pass away as a result of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, which is most widespread in Africa.

According to information released by the WHO the week before last, more than one million children in the African countries of Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi have already been given at least one dosage of the vaccine.

During the last year, malaria claimed 4,170 deaths in Niger and was responsible for four million cases.

Djermakoye Hadiza Jackie, who is the national coordinator for the battle against malaria in Niger, said that children under the age of five accounted for around fifty percent of cases and almost sixty percent of fatalities in the country.

She said that the number of cases should drop by at least 75 percent if vaccination and preventative methods such as using mosquito nets are combined.

The Globe Health Organization (WHO) predicts that there were 627 000 deaths caused by malaria in the world in 2020, which is the most recent year for which numbers are available. This represents an increase of 12 percent compared to 2019.

It is estimated that 95 percent of all cases of malaria and 96 percent of all fatalities are caused by the disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Fever, headaches, and muscular discomfort are just some of the symptoms of this condition, which have been documented as far back as ancient times. This illness is also characterized by alternating cycles of chills, fever, and sweating.