The First Anti-Malaria Vaccine : A Gift to the World

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 Yesterday I happened to read about the most astounding innovation of the year so far (after the Covid-19 vaccine of course). It was something we all living beings on this planet have yearned for since decades. Okay, I might sound a little naive as this was meant to show up someday, but to our surprise, it came at just an unexpected time when the world was already grappling with the awful pandemic. And with this breakthrough in medical research, we are in a way to curb all those parasitic fatalities caused by our no less a stranger disease: Malaria!  

On this remarkable day of October 6th, 2021, World Health Organization (WHO) approved its first-ever anti-malarial vaccine called RTS, S/AS01 or Mosquirix.  This, indeed, has made mankind enter into a turning point in a battle waged relentlessly over decades between man and mosquito. As aptly put by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “ This is a historic moment. Using this vaccine on top of existing tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year.”  Truly said! What else would a community desire if it is not saved from such a normal-not-so-threatening disease? 

If we look back at history, one would find malaria to have rapidly spread to Sub-Saharan Africa. It was just a little back in 2015 when the pilot program was been run by WHO against its fight with the disease. As a result, more than 1.3 million doses of the world’s first malaria vaccine have been administered in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, benefitting more than 650,000 children with additional malaria protection. Now that this vaccine has been approved for wider use, a new hope has sprung up of being able to retard this pathogen finally from our track. 

As research officials have pointed out, the protection provided by the RTS-S malaria vaccine, when added to currently recommended malaria control interventions, has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives per year. This vaccine, the first, and to date has been shown to reduce malaria in children, including life-threatening severe malaria, related hospital admissions, and the need for blood transfusions. 

What makes me more cogitative is the fact that this vaccine comes at a time when it was feared that progress against malaria was flagging. But science proved itself yet again, and hence the triumph. 

Now the only challenge it faces is the implementation and its equitable access. WHO through all its stakeholders must ensure that vaccine is rolled out not only to the affected countries but to the unreached population as well. Maintaining equity of access is the key. 

The next step, indeed, should be the speedy and meticulous implementation of this scientific marvel from lab to the field. 


By Anchal Pandey.

 

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