Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire
FG to commence procurement of malaria vaccine for children
Barely two days after the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved the malaria vaccine for administration on children in Africa, the Federal Government may have moved to commence procurement of the drug.
This is also as health experts said the recently approved RTS, S/AS01 malaria vaccine by the World Health Organisation would reduce the death of children in Africa.
Medical experts including a consultant parasitologist at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Prof. Wellington Oyibo, and the President of the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, stated this in interviews with newsmen.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, had at a news conference on Wednesday said the organisation had endorsed the RTS, S/AS01 (RTS, S) malaria vaccine for children in Africa.
The global body gave the approval following a two-year vaccine programme that involved children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi.
“This is a historic moment. The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control.
“Using this vaccine on top of existing tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year.”
