In a current advancement, Sierra Leone, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Gavi, has actually taken a considerable advance in the battle versus malaria. On December 15, 2023, the WHO Sierra Leone group, led by the WHO Country Representative Dr. Innocent Bright Nuwagira, signed up with forces with the Ministry of Health senior management, led by the Minister of Health Dr. Austin Demby, the 2 deputy ministers of health Dr. Charles Senessie, and Dr. Jalikatu Mustapha, and the UNICEF Representative to get a memorable delivery of more than 550,000 dosages of the WHO-approved malaria vaccine.
This shipment marks an important turning point in Sierra Leone’s fight versus malaria, an illness that has actually considerably affected public health throughout the African continent. Sierra Leone is amongst the 9 nations, consisting of Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, and Uganda, set to present the vaccine into their regular immunization programs for the very first time.
Considering that 2019, Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi have actually been effectively providing the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine through the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Program (MVIP). Over 1.7 million kids in these 3 nations have actually gotten the vaccine, showing its security and effectiveness. This effort has actually led to a significant decrease in extreme malaria cases and a considerable reduction in kid deaths.
The preliminary 18 million dosage allotment, helped with by the collective efforts of WHO, Gavi, the Global Fund to combat AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNICEF and Unitaid, will empower Sierra Leone to extend this life-saving intervention to its most susceptible populations. In addition to the vaccine, Sierra Leone will continue to carry out other preventive steps, consisting of making use of insecticide-treated bed internet (ITNs) and prevalent malaria screening.
Malaria problem in Sierra Leone represents over 2 million healthcare facility check outs each year. With the arrival of these brand-new vaccines, the country is poised to witness a transformative decrease in the variety of health center check outs, admissions, and, most notably, deaths connected to malaria.
The significance of this WHO-approved malaria vaccine exceeds its instant effect. It is a beacon of wish for households and neighborhoods, indicating a development in kid health and survival. The very first allowance of vaccine dosages is tactically focused on for kids at the greatest threat of catching malaria, intending to attend to health variations and conserve young lives.
Speaking on this turning point, the Minister of health, Dr. Demby highlighted, “The high need for the vaccine and the strong reach of youth immunization will increase equity in access to malaria avoidance and conserve lots of young lives. We will work relentlessly to increase supply up until all kids at danger have gain access to.”
On his part, the WHO Representative, Dr. Innocent Nuwagira, guaranteed the nation that the vaccine is authorized by WHO for usage, and hoped that the population will welcome it to enhance its usage. He guaranteed the MOH and GOSL of WHO’s dedication to support the preparation, preparations and present of the vaccine early next year. “All of us at WHO, all levels of the company, are at your service to support the next stages of this workout” stated the WHO Representative. Including that the intro of the vaccine is going to be a video game changer in the battle versus malaria in the nation.
This WHO support builds on numerous other high-impact technical and financial backing in this location. With financing from GAVI, GIZ, WHO AFRO and others, WCO Sierra Leone has actually had the ability to support federal government in the reactive project versus measles that has actually significantly minimized measles cases ending among the longest measles break outs in the nation. With WHO support the nation is nearly finishing an EPI Comprehensive evaluation that will notify shows progressing. The WHO is likewise offering monetary and technical assistance to the population-based EPI Survey to be carried out by Statistics Sierra Leone and MOH. These efforts are additional matched by the continuous WHO support towards mass circulation of insecticide dealt with mosquito internet and the current facility of the Child Health Program in the ministry of health to name a few. All these efforts are anticipated to significantly minimize kid and maternal deaths in the nation.
As Sierra Leone prepares to present the malaria vaccine in early 2024, the country stands unified in its dedication to changing the futures of its kids and guaranteeing a much healthier, malaria-free tomorrow. The partnership in between global companies and regional authorities acts as a testimony to the power of cumulative action beforehand international health efforts.