Malaria vaccine cuts child deaths in African rollout, study finds

London: African countries that were first to roll out a breakthrough malaria vaccine have seen a “significant reduction” in child deaths, according to a landmark report published this week in The Lancet.

The study tracked infant mortality rates over four years in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi after they introduced the RTS,S malaria jab for children. Researchers found that one in eight child deaths had been avoided in the three countries since the vaccine was rolled out.

Malaria kills around 600,000 people annually, most of them in Africa, and most of them children. The RTS,S vaccine had performed well in clinical trials, and the new data shows it is now having a positive impact on the ground.

“This is very solid evidence of the potential for malaria vaccines to change the trajectory of child mortality in Africa,” said Dr. Kate O’Brien of the World Health Organization, a co-author of the evaluation.

Twenty-five African countries now offer malaria vaccinations to children. Researchers expect similar or better results in nations that adopted the vaccine more recently. Other malaria vaccines are also in development.