The world's first and only malaria vaccine was launched in the African country of Malawi on April 23, as part of a landmark pilot program hoping to protect, in particular, hundreds of thousands of children under five against one of the world's leading killers, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Thirty years in the making, RTS,S is the first and to date, the only vaccine that has demonstrated it can significantly reduce malaria in children, according to the WHO. In clinical trials, the vaccine was found to prevent about four in ten malaria cases, including three in ten cases of life-threatening severe malaria, reports Xinhua news agency. Malawi is the first of three in Africa where RTS,S is to be made available to children up to two years of age.
Ghana and Kenya will introduce the vaccine in the coming weeks. According to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom…
