Cote d’Ivoire has received its first malaria vaccines this week, with the government announcing on Saturday that malaria claims the lives of four people daily in the country, predominantly young children.
The government has reported receiving 656,600 doses, which will initially immunize 250,000 children aged 0 to 23 months across 16 locations.
Despite a decrease in malaria-related deaths from 3,222 in 2017 to 1,316 in 2020, the disease remains the primary reason for medical consultations, as noted by the Ministry of Health.
The R21/Matrix-M vaccine has received approval from Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic.
Additionally, the Ivorian government is distributing mosquito nets and conducting insecticide spraying in endemic areas.
Malaria, characterized by fever, headaches, and chills, can be severe or fatal if untreated. In 2022, it caused over 600,000 deaths globally, with 95% occurring in Africa and 80% affecting children under 5, according to the WHO.
The vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), is the second malaria vaccine endorsed by the WHO for children.
