In a significant move to combat malaria, the leading cause of infant mortality in Benin, the country has received its initial shipment of malaria vaccines, as announced by officials on Monday.
Health Minister Benjamin Hounkpatin emphasized the endemic nature of malaria, stating that it remains the primary cause of death among children under five years of age in Benin. The government officially received 215,900 doses of the RTS,S vaccine at Cotonou airport.
The initial vaccinations are set to commence “within a few months,” according to Minister Hounkpatin. He highlighted that in Benin, 40 percent of outpatient consultations and 25 percent of hospital admissions are linked to malaria.
The vaccine is designed to immunize approximately “200,000 children” under the age of two, as explained by Benin Faustin Yao, an immunization specialist at the UNICEF office in Benin. Infants will receive four doses at six months, seven months, nine months, and 18 months.
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Benin joins the ranks as the third African country to receive these vaccines, following Cameroon and Sierra Leone. The pilot phase in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, coordinated by the World Health Organization and funded by the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, has paved the way for this crucial vaccination effort.
Over two million children have already been vaccinated in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, resulting in a “spectacular decline” in mortality rates and a significant reduction in severe malaria cases and hospitalizations, according to GAVI.
Despite these efforts, the World Health Organization reports that almost every minute, a child under the age of five succumbs to malaria. The disease, transmitted by certain types of mosquitoes, remains a formidable problem, primarily due to increasing resistance to treatment.
In 2021 alone, the WHO recorded 247 million malaria cases worldwide, with 619,000 patients losing their lives. Africa bears the brunt of this burden, accounting for 95 percent of cases and 96 percent of deaths.
Benin’s initiative to administer malaria vaccines represents a crucial step in addressing this public health challenge and protecting the most vulnerable members of its population. The impact of such vaccinations in other African countries provides hope for a substantial reduction in malaria-related mortality and hospitalizations in Benin as well.