Malaria is an alarming infectious disease in Africa. Reports say that numerous people died due to it in 2016 out of which most of them were children. A lot of measures have been taken to treat the problem but, it has not been eliminated completely. But, the good news is, Malawi, an African country recently launched the world’s first malaria vaccine in a pilot programme which will also be available in Ghana and Kenya.

The vaccine is known as RTS,S and it has been said that about 360, 000 children up to the age of 2 years will be vaccinated every year across Malawi, Ghana, and Kenya.

In a write-up by World Health Organization, the Regional Director for WHO, Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti mentioned about the scenario owing to malaria in the country as she stated: “Malaria is a constant threat in the African communities where this vaccine will be given. The poorest children suffer the most and are at the highest risk of death.”

The Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a huge gain from the bed nets have been observed in the past 15 years but, the progress has hindered and have even been reversed in some of the areas. But the vaccine seems like a promising tool.

Africa has seen the worst due to the malaria epidemic as more than 250, 000 children die from it every year in the country. But it feels like the time has come to safeguard the children from the deadly disease. We hope the RTS,S vaccine results in something phenomenal.