𝗥𝗧𝗦,𝗦 - 𝗪𝗛𝗢-𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 first M𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 V𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 to be rolled out in 18 African Countries 𝗥𝗧𝗦,𝗦 - 𝗪𝗛𝗢-𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 first M𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 V𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 to be rolled out in 18 African Countries Content Editor: Dr. Prachi Goswami December 7, 2023 WHO News Section RTS,S - Malaria Vaccine, WHO Around 𝟯𝟯𝟭,𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗱𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗛𝗢-𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 M𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 V𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗥𝗧𝗦,𝗦 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗻 and an additional 1.7 million doses will be delivered to Burkina Faso, Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone. Supported by 𝙂𝙖𝙫𝙞, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙑𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚, these countries will start routine immunization from 1st quarter of 2024. The GSK-manufactured RTS,S vaccine follows a 4-dose schedule, which act against P. falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite globally and the most prevalent in Africa. Meanwhile, the 𝗥𝟮𝟭 vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India is under review by WHO for prequalification which is expected to be available in mid 2024.

Accelerating towards ending malarial deaths Accelerating towards ending malarial deaths Content Editor: Dr. Manu Goel March 21, 2024 WHO News Section Communicable diseases, Malaria, WHO At Yaoundé in Cameroon, Ministers of Health from African countries with the highest burden of malaria, especially 11 countries contributing to 70% of the global burden of malaria , signed a declaration towards accelerated action to end deaths from the disease in this region. The aims of the conference were as follows: To review the progress and challenges in achieving the targets of the WHO global malaria strategy To plan mitigation strategies and provide funds for the same To make strategies and responses for accelerated malaria mortality reduction in Africa To establish a roadmap for increased political commitment and societal engagement in malaria control. The WHO and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria launched the ‘ High Burden to High Impact’ approach in 2018, which was echoed in the Declaration. The approach thus will focus on the following: The political will to reduce malaria deaths Using information strategically to drive impact Better guidance, policies and strategies, and a coordinated national response Click here to read more

Recommendation from the 6th meeting of India Expert Advisory Group on Measles and Rubella (IEAG-MR) Recommendation from the 6th meeting of India Expert Advisory Group on Measles and Rubella (IEAG-MR) Content Editor: Dr. Prachi June 14, 2024 Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Vaccination, Measles, Rubella, Elimination Some important recommendations following the 6th meeting of the India Expert Advisory on Measles and Rubella (IEAG-MR ) are as follows: Ensuring children under two years of age are vaccinated with two doses of MR vaccine Ensuring active case searches for all sporadic cases Regular State Task Force and District Task Force meetings on immunization should be held. Updating the MR outbreak preparedness and response plans Readiness assessments and outbreak simulation exercises should be regularly conducted at the subnational level, and in the event of an outbreak, ensure outbreak response immunization Every district needs to achieve a coverage of >95% with both the doses of MR vaccine with an NMNR (Non-Measles Non-Rubella) of >2/100,000 population and zero transmission of the virus in the community. Following the implementation of these recommendations, currently, 198 districts have achieved >95% coverage for both doses of the vaccine, and 610 districts have achieved the desired benchmark of NMNR.