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Malaria deaths high as vaccine search still on

 Ministry of Health head department of partnership and intergovernmental Dr. Patrick Amoth (right) and Reckitt Benkiser Country Manager Sachin Varma point at this year's World Malaria Day Kenya Slogan "Nimejitolea Kupambana Na Malaria" during a media briefing in Nairobi on April 18, 2018. [Jenipher Wachie/Standard]

The push for an effective malaria vaccine has gathered momentum as concerns grow about the disease that is a threat to children aged below five years and expectant mothers.

At the Commonwealth Summit in London, United Kingdom, last week, leaders discussed the need to develop effective anti-malaria vaccines.

Experts say although malaria is the number one threat to children and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa, scientists have not been keen to develop vaccines.

In the mid 1990s, the SPf66 vaccine was tried in Tanzania and parts of Kenya. It was developed by Colombian scientist Manuel Patarroyo. However, it did not go far.

Little has been heard of another vaccine developed by GSK.

Malaria zones

Malaria kills more than 30,000 people in Kenya annually, with figures almost the same in other African countries in the malaria zones of the sub-Saharan region.

It is these deaths from malaria and other preventable diseases that prompted the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to focus on how to help fund health programmes to ensure African governments overcome challenges posed by diseases.

The foundation was involved through funding the development of the vaccine brand named RTSS, which was approved by European drug regulators for use to prevent malaria infections among children aged six weeks to 17 months in 2016.

Malaria does not have any known vaccine, thus making Mosquirix the only one locally.

It is believed the World Health Organisation has now given the new vaccine a clean bill of health.

The vaccine underwent clinical trials and tests at the Kenya Medical Research Institute under the lead researcher, Benhards Ogutu.

Likely reduce

The Ministry of Health says the vaccine is likely to reduce malaria infection rates among children.

While the manufacturer and ministry officials praise the new vaccine, the chairman of the Centre for Tropical and Travel Diseases, Charles Chunge has a different view.

Prof Chunge claims the vaccine’s efficacy rate is only 50 per cent.

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