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Nigeria: World Malaria Day 2022-Inside Nigeria’s Plan Prior to Vaccine Distribution

Nigeria: World Malaria Day 2022-Inside Nigeria’s Plan Prior to Vaccine Distribution

 


WHO estimates that the vaccine can save the lives of an additional 40,000 to 80,000 African children each year.

Hope to end malaria, a disease that kills thousands of people each year, came in late 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) Approved the use of the first malaria vaccine in history.

Vaccines, RTS, S or mosquirix are not only the first of malaria, but also the first to be developed for parasitic diseases. Parasites are much more complex than viruses and bacteria, and the quest for malaria vaccines has been around for many years.

This vaccine was found to exceed the 75% efficacy target set by WHO for the malaria vaccine to nod.

Health experts, caregivers, and government officials describe this development as a breakthrough in the fight against the tragedy that has plagued humans for decades.

“The long-awaited malaria vaccine is a breakthrough in science, child health and malaria control,” said WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus with the vaccine’s approval.

Malaria burden

Although malaria can be prevented and treated, it continues to have a devastating impact on the health and livelihoods of people around the world.

In 2020, an estimated 241 million new cases of malaria and 627,000 malaria-related deaths in 85 countries. More than two-thirds of deaths were in children under the age of five living in the WHO Africa region.

“Children under the age of five are one of the most vulnerable groups affected by the disease, accounting for 67% of all malaria deaths worldwide,” said Matshidiso Moeti, Director of the WHO Africa Region. I am.

For centuries, malaria has struck sub-Saharan Africa, “causing enormous personal distress,” Ms. Moetti said.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has the highest malaria burden in the region, accounting for 23% of malaria deaths worldwide.

WHO said the vaccine “can save the lives of tens of thousands of young people each year,” but there are concerns that the vaccine may not reach the children most vulnerable to the disease.

Health experts say that most children miss vaccination because of lack of access to the vaccine and low awareness of its importance.

“There are many communities that are unaware of the free medical services provided by the government. This is a human rights issue because access to quality health is the right issue,” said Civil Society on Malaria Immunity and Nutrition (ACOMIN). Said Ayo Ipinmoye, National Coordinator of. ), I told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview.

Missing

A stinking mixture from several pools of stagnant water. When our reporter recently visited during the investigation of this report, the smoke from flying insects and burning firewood was the atmosphere of the Dape area of ​​Gwarin, a district of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria.

Built of wood and cement bags, Shanti is what community residents call home. There is no suitable drainage channel to drain water from the temporary bathroom next to the living area, or from laundry and other chores.

Sweaty from the afternoon heat and his cooking area, community resident Amina Isa smiled as she wiped her face with her arms.

She was asked if she knew about the vaccination program and if she had allowed her children to be vaccinated, Isa said. “I don’t know anything about immunity and I have never taken my child to the hospital.”

Speaking in Hausa, four middle-aged mothers, commonly referred to in the neighborhood as Mama Aisha, say her children gave birth to her living room with the help of friends and neighbors. I did.

Memnato Gamboa, who lives in the Naibawa region of Kano, said he knew there was a hospital where he could give birth to his baby, but he couldn’t stand the stress of being “commanded” by hospital officials. So, like Isa, she had all her babies at home.

On her side, Hannatu Usman, a resident of Baran-Goni, a community in the Bwari area. FCTIn her village in Borno, she said she had all children before the riots forced her to move to Abuja, but there was no public medical facility.

“To see the health center, you will walk or bike a few kilometers when you see it,” she said.

Cases of these three women who gave birth by either traditional midwives or their relationships and neighbors are common in 774 local governments across the country. By placing children outside of accredited medical facilities, these children miss the government’s major national immune program.

Over the years, immunization has proven to save the lives of millions of people around the world. Vaccines reduce the risk of getting sick by working with the body’s natural defenses to build protection, WHO said.

However, despite its many benefits, it is said that a great many people around the world, including nearly 20 million babies each year, have inadequate access to the vaccine.

The 2018 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) states that the country’s immunization rate is very low.

According to the survey, only 31% of children aged 12 to 23 months received all basic vaccinations before the survey, while 28% received basic vaccinations by the appropriate age of 12 months. I received it, and 19% did not receive it. No vaccinations.

Possible game changer

WHO approval of the vaccine is based on the results of more than 2.3 million doses since 2019 to approximately 800,000 children in Kenya, Malawi and Ghana.

Vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline It is said to reduce cases of clinical malaria by 40% and cases of severe malaria by 30%. Three doses are given between 5 and 17 months, and a fourth dose is given 18 months later.

“Getting a safe, reasonably effective and ready-to-deliver malaria vaccine is a historic event,” said Pedro Alonso, director of WHO’s Global Malaria Program.

Health experts around the world said the introduction of RTS, S vaccines into existing malaria control interventions could reduce child mortality in Africa, which bears the brunt of the disease.

Vaccine deployment and funding

At a news conference, John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said it was unclear when the vaccine would be widely available in Africa.

Nkengasong said the vaccine could take some time to deploy as the pilot program is still underway.

Vaccine developer GSK has donated 10 million doses for research, saying that only a quarter of them have been used so far.

The company also promised 15 million doses annually, but health officials said this may not be sufficient to cover malaria endemic countries.

“What we know at this point is that vaccines available in the near future are not enough and need to be prioritized,” said Perpetual Uhomoibhi, NMEP’s national coordinator.

Uhomoibhi said there are plans to give priority to Nigeria, a high-burden country, at the start of distribution.

Regarding funding, she said the government would buy the vaccine at the right time with the support of development partners.

“If there is a funding gap, the government will come in.”

Bassey Okposen, Head of Disease Management and Immunization at NPHCDA, said there are processes to follow before new vaccines are introduced into the country.

Okposen also said countries are expected to make a decision and express their interest in whether to adopt vaccines as part of their national malaria control strategy.

He said the immunization agency is working with the NMEP team and others to develop a proposal to submit to GAVI for consideration at the start of the allocation.

Gavi, a vaccine alliance, announced in late 2021 that it would invest $ 155.7 million to deploy RTS and S vaccines in sub-Saharan Africa between 2022 and 2025.

It states that this is an initial investment to support the introduction, procurement and delivery of vaccines for Gavi-eligible countries, including Nigeria.

Ipinmoye, ACOMIN’s national coordinator, said the government must invest in vaccines that serve as a useful tool to protect children from malaria-induced deaths.

Malaria is endemic in Nigeria, and it may be sad that pregnant women and children are in areas where they cannot be vaccinated, he said.

He said that people in local communities in particular need to be educated about the importance of childhood vaccination.

“The malaria vaccine can be a game changer in the fight against malaria, but grassroots people must be able to take advantage of it,” he said.

“We hope that a complete new vaccine will help reduce deaths and malaria cases,” said Tim Obot, Deputy Director of the National Malaria Eradication Program (NMEP).

“Others over this age will continue to use the alternative interventions available for malaria,” Obot said, as the vaccine is intended for children under the age of five.