The World Health Organisation (WHO) says over 1 million children in Malawi, Ghana and Kenya have been protected by the first malaria vaccine.
In a statement,the WHO said the RTS,S vaccine which was first piloted in Malawi in April 2019 has shown that the vaccine is safe and it reduces severe Malaria disease.
Ahead of World Malaria Day on April 25, WHO has called for continued innovation to save lives.
RTS,S is a first-generation vaccine that could be complemented in the future by other vaccines with similar or higher efficacy.
If widely deployed, WHO estimates that the vaccine could save the lives of an additional 40,000 to 80,000 African children each year.
More than US$ 155 million has been secured from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to support the introduction, procurement and delivery of the malaria vaccine for Gavi-eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
WHO guidance is available to countries as they consider whether and how to adopt RTS,S as an additional tool to reduce child illness and deaths from malaria.
