On January 22, 2024, Cameroon launched a large-scale systematic vaccination campaign against malaria. The authorities specify that the injection is offered free of charge and systematically to all children under six months of age, at the same time as other conventional vaccines.
On January 22, 2024, Cameroon launched a large-scale malaria vaccination campaign with over 300,000 doses of the RTS,S malaria vaccine from the British pharmaceutical laboratory GSK, the first to be validated and recommended by the WHO. The first doses were delivered in November 2023. This campaign comes in response to the resistance of plasmodium falciparum to standard drug treatments known as « ACT » and as a complement to impregnated mosquito nets.
“There are other preventive measures that we must not neglect. In particular, the use of impregnated mosquito nets, the administration of medicated treatment and we must also clean up our environment.”
Leonard EWANE, Public health official – Cameroon
Malaria costs the African economy nearly 12 billion USD a year in direct losses, and also represents an annual loss of growth of 1.3% of GDP, according to data from the African Union. In 2022, WHO estimates that 580,000 people will have died of malaria in Africa, 80% of them children under 5. In sub-Saharan Africa, one of the 11 countries most affected by malaria is Cameroon, with 3.3 million cases, including 2,481 deaths, recorded in 2022, according to figures from the National Malaria Control Program (PNLP).
“It’s five-year-olds who are most affected by malaria, so we start vaccination at an approximate age of 05 months. There are exactly 04 doses to be taken, which we will distribute until the age of 02, the age at which children are most vulnerable to the disease. We wanted to concentrate where the need was pressing, and Cameroon is one of the countries where the disease has a high incidence.”
Aurelia NGUYEN, Program director, Gavi – France
Nine African countries are about to launch malaria vaccination this year. In addition to Cameroon, Benin, Burkina Faso and Liberia have received the vaccine and are in the process of finalising deployment plans.