Mbanza-Ngungu, Kongo Central — The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reached a prime public nicely being milestone by efficiently integrating the malaria vaccine into its national routine immunization programme. This unprecedented initiative has supreme been launched in Mbanza-Ngungu (southwest of the nation) by the Minister of Public Well being, Hygiene and Social Welfare, with the enthralling participation of the Governor of Kongo-Central and the toughen of key partners equivalent to the World Well being Organization (WHO), the United Countries Kid’s Fund (UNICEF), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), PATH, Clinton Well being To find admission to Initiative (CHAI), PMI , Breakthrough ACTION, SANRU and others.In June, DRC bought a first batch of 693,500 doses of the malaria vaccine, designed to immunize children worn six months and over in opposition to malaria, a disease that is affecting millions of people in DRC and all the blueprint through Africa.
The most most up-to-date recordsdata from the epidemiological surveillance machine of the Ministry of Public Well being, Hygiene and Social Welfare and from the 2022 annual report of the DRC National Malaria Strategic Conception unearths an alarming trouble: children worn below 5 years myth for nearly 50% of malaria cases and around 70% of all malaria mortalities.
“The introduction of the malaria vaccine is an initiative that highlights the importance of combining high-impact strategic interventions to fight malaria effectively,” acknowledged Dr Roger Kamba, Minister of Public Well being, Hygiene and Social Welfare. “At this precise moment, I would like to express our sincere thanks to all the international partners who have provided considerable support for the introduction of the malaria vaccine into our country’s immunization schedule,” added Dr Kamba.
Prequalified by WHO, the malaria vaccine is a proper and efficient protect in opposition to malaria in children worn below 5 years.
“The introduction of the malaria vaccine as a major preventive measure, alongside environmental sanitation, vector control and increased use of insecticide-treated bed nets at night, represents an extraordinary step forward for the DRC in the fight against malaria,” acknowledged Dr Boureima Hama Sambo, WHO Representative in DRC. “By collectively implementing all these combined and effective approaches, we can protect DRC communities against mosquito-borne diseases,” he added.
In 2022, DRC recorded 27,296,419 cases of malaria, together with 13,300,804 in children below 5 (Forty eight.7%). Of these cases, 1,176,648 were excessive kinds of the disease. The identical statistics prove more than 24,880 deaths attributable to malaria, of which 16,921 were among children below 5 (68%).
“UNICEF is a key partner in the deployment of the malaria vaccine in the DRC. Thanks to our technical expertise, we have helped to build the capacity of health workers, develop appropriate management tools and implement effective communication strategies to promote vaccination among parents. UNICEF is committed to continuing its efforts to ensure that all Congolese children benefit from this essential protection, in line with the national vaccine roll-out plan,” acknowledged Grant Leaity, UNICEF Representative in DRC.
By November 2023, DRC had also presented perennial malaria chemoprevention (PMC) in four pilot nicely being zones (Boko Kivulu, Kisantu, Kwilu Ngongo and Mbanza-Ngungu) in the province of Kongo Central to strive in opposition to malaria in children below 5, and forestall heaps of of thousands of them from falling sick. These efforts occupy considerably strengthened the nation’s management approach as an additional system of combating malaria.
By becoming a member of the 14 other African international locations that occupy already adopted the malaria vaccine (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Niger, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and South Sudan), DRC is demonstrating its solid political will and responding to the neighborhood’s growing inquire for vaccines.
“Today, DRC becomes the fifteenth country on the African continent to have introduced malaria vaccine into routine immunization with Gavi support. Given the devastating impact of malaria, this is a development that will save thousands of young lives, and offer relief to families and the health system,” acknowledged Cyril Nogier, Senior Country Manager for DRC at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “We commend the Ministry of Health for prioritizing the introduction of this life-saving tool, even amid other urgent health priorities including the mpox response. This showcases the importance of investing in building resilient health systems that can expand routine immunization even while responding to emergencies. Gavi is proud to support this effort and stands committed to working together to secure a healthier future for all in DRC.”
Administered in four doses from the age of six months in areas of intense transmission, these vaccines prevent more than half of of all malaria cases in the course of the first twelve months following vaccination. For children at high likelihood of illness and death, a fourth dose extends this very main security.
About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-non-public partnership that helps vaccinate more than half of the world’s children in opposition to some of the world’s deadliest diseases. The Vaccine Alliance brings together growing nation and donor governments, the World Well being Organization, UNICEF, the World Financial institution, the vaccine replace, technical companies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other non-public sector partners. Notion the chubby record of donor governments and other main organisations that fund Gavi’s work right here.
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Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a entire generation – over 1.1 billion children – and prevented more than 18.8 million future deaths, serving to to halve small one mortality in 78 decrease-profits international locations. Gavi also performs a key role in bettering world nicely being security by supporting nicely being methods to boot to funding world stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After twenty years of development, Gavi is now taking into consideration retaining the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who occupy no longer bought even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs modern finance and the most up-to-date technology – from drones to biometrics – to construct lives, prevent outbreaks sooner than they can unfold and aid international locations on the toll road to self-sufficiency. Learn more on the Gavi web web site and join with us on Fb and X (Twitter).
