WHO sets 2015 target for malaria vaccine

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a malaria vaccine will be available in 2015. According to the global health body, clinical trials for malaria vaccine are currently underway at 11 sites across Africa. This was revealed by the director of WHO's Global Malaria Programme, Dr. Robert Newman in Abuja.


He told Guardian malaria vaccine researchers have come a long way in the search for a potent and reliable vaccine.

He said: “We should remember that most of the vaccines are against viruses bacteria. There are no vaccines as it is today for use against parasitic disease. There is a trial against malaria vaccine on-going in eleven sites in seven countries in Africa. The name of that vaccine is RTS,S and preliminary results have shown efficacy in different age groups of anywhere and with 55 per cent efficiency in preventing malaria. If you think about the number of cases of malaria, the public health benefit of that could be amazing.

“But, the trial is not finished yet. That trial will finish in having data available in 2014. WHO is therefore, tracking the progress very carefully. We have experts committed to this. There are people who are looking at this.”

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