Ivory Coast rolls out malaria vaccine drive targeting children

Health workers in Ivory Coast began vaccinations on Monday against malaria, the leading cause of death of children in the country, as the government added the malaria vaccine to the list of routine vaccinations for children.

The West African country became the first to start rolling out the newest shot targeting malaria in an effort that aims to cover about 250,000 children under two.

"This decision shows the engagement of the government, who make it a point of honor to invest in the health of our children, our most precious treasures,” said Health Minister, Pierre Demba, at a ceremony to mark the launching of the vaccination campaign.

"We want to assure their protection and their well-being, because they are the future of our country,” he added.

The three-dose vaccine known as R21/Matrix-M was developed by Britain's Oxford University and was authorised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) last October.

Alice Kanga was one of many who brought their children to get vaccinated.

“It’s really important for the children, for their health," she said.

A different malaria vaccine called Mosquirix was endorsed by the WHO in 2021, but it required four doses and protection waned within months.

India’s Serum Institute has already made 25 million doses of the Oxford vaccine and says it plans to make at least 100 million every year.

Malaria most often attacks children under five and pregnant women, and more than 94% of the world's roughly 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 deaths every year are in Africa.

Dr. Fatim Tall, acting WHO Representative in Ivory Coast, said at the ceremony that the vaccine would “guarantee without any doubt that our children will survive not just past their first birthday, but will from now on reach adulthood, in good health.”

But malaria vaccines don’t stop the disease’s transmission, and experts have long warned that preventive measures like insecticide spraying and the use of bed nets will remain critical.