The WHO approves vaccine for malaria. The World Health Organization (WHO), this week, approved the widespread use of a new vaccine, called Mosquirix, for malaria. This is the first of its kind against malaria, and it is a huge breakthrough expected to significantly reduce suffering due to the disease, particularly in developing communities where the disease is most common all year round Mosquirix is recommend for the prevention of malaria in young children. African scientists were involved in the development of this vaccine. This is a good indications of the involvement of Africans in finding solutions to biomedical problems in Africa. https://www.who.int/news/item/06-10-2021-who-recommends-groundbreaking-malaria-vaccine-for-children-at-risk.
Millions of people suffer from Malaria every year. The disease is more severe in children aged 5 years and below, killing thousands every year. Many drugs are available to treat malaria. But, over the years, resistance by the parasite to the most effective and cheap medicines has grown substantially. This means that management of the disease with cheap and common medicines has become difficult in many instances. As a result, poor people who cannot afford expensive alternative medicines, suffer the most. https://bessongthemicrobiologist.com/2021/11/13/antimicrobial-resistance/. This is why the approval of Mosquirix for the prevention of malaria by the WHO is a big development in the management of malaria globally, particularly in the developing world. The socio-economic impact of malaria is also very high, mainly due to absence from work when people are sick of malaria.
Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite. There are four types that infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium vivax. Each of these parasites can be more common in a particular region than the other. Generally, the most common is Plasmodium falciparum. The WHO approved vaccine is recommended for use in areas where Plasmodium falciparum is most common. Plasmodium is transmitted to humans through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito. The mosquito thrives in tropical and subtropical climates, and breeds in stagnant water. The availability of a vaccine for malaria is highly welcomed; and there is hope that the efficacy of the vaccine will be improved upon as more evidence from its use emerges. As the WHO approves a vaccine for malaria, it is the hope that this will spur efforts in tackling other endemic infectious diseases in the developing world.
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