With malaria one of the biggest killers of children under 5, the world’s first vaccine against a parasite is a major breakthrough for child health.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has awarded a contract for the first ever supply of a malaria vaccine to pharmaceutical company – GSK – with a value of up to U.S.$170 million. The landmark award will lead to 18 million doses of the vaccine being available over the next three years, potentially saving thousands of lives every year.
In 2020, nearly half a million children died from malaria in Africa alone, a rate of one child death per minute.
According to WHO data, more than 30 countries have areas with moderate to high malaria transmission, where the vaccine could provide added protection against malaria to over 25 million children each year once supply scales up.
The RTS,S malaria vaccine is the result of 35 years of research and developmen. The vaccine acts against Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly malaria parasite globally and the most prevalent in Africa.
UNICEF supports the regional diversification of vaccine production and is encouraging GSK and other pipeline manufacturers to consider partnering with companies in Africa as part of this effort.