Africa is to get 18 million doses of the new malaria vaccine over the next two years, it has been announced.
The vaccines are to be allocated to 12 countries, the World Health Organization said.
So far the vaccine has been given to 1.7 million children in three countries, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, over the last four years. The next nine countries to get the vaccine are Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone and Uganda.
WHO said at least 16 more countries in Africa are interested in getting the vaccine.
Dr Kate O’Brien, WHO Director of Immunisation, Vaccines and Biologicals, said: “The malaria vaccine is a breakthrough to improve child health and child survival; and families and communities, rightly, want this vaccine for their children. This first allocation of malaria vaccine doses is prioritised for children at highest risk of dying of malaria.
“The high demand for the vaccine and the strong reach of childhood immunisation will increase equity in access to malaria prevention and save many young lives. We will work tirelessly to increase supply until all children at risk have access.”
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