On the occasion of World Malaria Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for greater implementation of new and existing interventions to save lives from malaria. Nearly 1.5 million children at high risk of illness and death from malaria in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have already received their first dose of the first malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S), thanks to a Ongoing pilot program coordinated by WHO.
Malaria vaccine pilot programmes, launched in 2019, are increasing equity in access to malaria prevention for the most vulnerable and saving lives. If widely implemented, the WHO estimates that malaria vaccines could save the lives of tens of thousands of children each year.
“We have the tools to reduce malaria, a package of interventions that includes vector control, preventive drugs, testing and treatment,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “These are joined by a safe and effective malaria vaccine, which could save the lives of tens of thousands of children every year. With sustained investment and increased efforts to reach those most at risk, malaria elimination in many countries is within reach.”
World Malaria Day 2023 is celebrated under the theme “It’s time to achieve zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement”. Within this theme, WHO calls for more effective implementation of available tools and strategies to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria, particularly among underserved populations.
according to the latest world malaria reportpublished in December 2022, there were an estimated 247 million new cases of malaria in 2021. The WHO African Region continues to bear the heaviest burden of the disease, accounting for approximately 95% of all malaria cases ( 234 million) and 96% of all deaths (593,000) in 2021. Almost 80% of malaria deaths in the African Region occurred among children under five years of age.
New strategies and tools.
Countries have made some progress in expanding access to malaria services for populations most at risk. Despite some progress, many people at high risk of malaria still lack access to services that can prevent, detect and treat the disease. Challenges in expanding access to malaria services have been compounded, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, by the COVID-19 pandemic, converging humanitarian crises, constrained funding, weak surveillance systems, and declining surveillance. effectiveness of basic tools to combat malaria.
To address these threats and support countries in building more resilient malaria programmes, WHO recently published new strategies and frameworks, including:
- to new strategy contain resistance to antimalarial drugs in Africa;
- to new initiative to stop the spread of Anopheles stephensi in urban environments;
- to new frameDeveloped jointly by WHO and UN-Habitat, to guide city leaders in the control of urban malaria.
- to new set of tools help countries assess their malaria surveillance systems and identify areas for investment
WHO has also increased transparency, flexibility and access to its recommendations on malaria. The Consolidated WHO malaria guidelines They are already available through two digital platforms: MAGIC application and the “Tools for malaria” application. WHO encourages countries to adapt recommendations to local disease settings for maximum impact.
Prospects for new interventions
Continued investment in the development and deployment of new malaria vaccines and next-generation tools will be key to achieving global malaria targets by 2030.
A second malaria vaccine, the R21/Matrix-M (R21) vaccine, if approved, could help close the considerable gap between supply and demand and further reduce childhood illness and death from malaria. It is a priority for WHO to continue the comprehensive and efficient review of the R21 malaria vaccine once additional key safety and efficacy data from the ongoing Phase 3 R21 trial are available and provided to WHO.
Phased introductions of the RTS,S malaria vaccine in other African countries are expected to begin in early 2024.
In the vector control space, there are 28 new products in the research and development process. Tools being tested include, for example, new types of insecticide-treated nets, specific mosquito-attracting baits, space repellents, lethal house lures (eave pipes), and mosquito genetic engineering.
Researchers are prioritizing the development of non-ACT treatments in the field of antimalarial drugs due to the emergence and spread of partial resistance to artemisinin. Development of next-generation drugs, such as “triple ACTs,” which use a combination of artemisinin and two associated drugs, is underway to reduce the risk of drug resistance.
Notes to the editor:
For more information on the WHO World Malaria Day campaign, visit: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-malaria-day/2023
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