The World Health Organisation (WHO) has Wednesday approved world's first malaria vaccines to bolster its fight against the menacing disease.
Africa remains the most affected continent as more than 260,000 African children under the age of 5 die annually from the mosquito-born ailment.
The world's health governing body has now approved the administration of malaria vaccine developed by British scientists in conjunction with ensemble of African scientists.
The programme followed a decade of clinical trials in seven African countries.
The WHO recommendation is for RTS, sold as "Mosquirix", a vaccine developed by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline.
Mosquirix is the first vaccine developed to prevent malaria, it effectiveness was however, far from perfect with 30% efficacy. It can, however, save thousands of lives when used with many other measures such as mosquitoes net.
"This long-awaited malaria vaccine is a breakthrough for science. This is a vaccine developed in Africa by African scientists and we’re very proud," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
It is a great milestone and relief for Africa where 94 percent of malaria cases and deaths occur, a continent of more than 1.3 billion people.
The preventable disease is caused by parasites transmitted to people by the bites of infected mosquitoes; symptoms include fever, vomiting and fatigue.
Another malaria vaccine called R21/Matrix-M is ongoing by scientists at the UK’s University of Oxford, and has showed up to 77 percent efficacy in a year-long study involving 450 children in Burkina Faso, researchers said in April, but it is still in the trial stages.
Malaria
A disease caused by a plasmodium parasite and transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes, especially Anopheles Mosquitoes.
Malaria has killed more people in Africa than Coronavirus has done.
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