Former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has expressed on Thursday his joy after the announcement of the approval of the first malaria vaccine by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday.
“It is heartwarming to learn of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) approval of a malaria vaccine after years of trial.” said John Mahama on his Facebook page.
“It is refreshing and promising to learn that our expression of interest in 2016 to the WHO and active participation in the Malaria vaccine pilot programme has led to the approval of the vaccine to be deployed in Sub-Saharan Africa and other malaria endemic regions.”
The Former President also said that he is elated at the prospect of vacciniating millions of African children who will be saved from avoidable deaths as a result of this scientific and Public Health breakthrough.
“Thanks to Dr. Vasee Moorthy and his team at the World Health Organisation who responded favourably to Ghana’s expression of interest in the malaria vaccine programme in 2016.”
“Congratulations to the WHO, Ghana’s Technical Working Group and the governments and people of Malawi and Kenya who joined us in the successful pilot immunisation programme.”
He supported Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the WHO, that this is, “a historic moment.”
Since 2019, 2.3 million doses of Mosquirix have been given to infants in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi as part of a large-scale pilot program coordinated by WHO.
Note that another vaccine against malaria, developed by scientists at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and called R21 / Matrix-M, showed up to 77% effectiveness in a one-year study involving 450 children in Burkina Faso, researchers said in April, but it is still in the testing stages.
Source: AfrikPage