How will you feel when you don’t suffer from malaria ever again? Mosquitoes suddenly become insignificant in our lives because their bites are harmless. The death rate suddenly crumbles and our loved ones stop dying from malaria. The future is almost here as we await the malaria Vaccine, which is being tested in Africa. The vaccine has been touted as a possible breakthrough in the quest for a permanent solution.
Early trials of the malaria vaccine have shown about 77% efficacy. If the vaccine goes through, the world will defeat one of the highest killers of mankind. Billions of dollars would be saved and pregnancy in Africa can become less complicated when it comes to malaria. The anticipation of the eradication of malaria is the news the world needs.
Malaria kills a lot of people in Africa every year, most of these people are children in sub-Saharan Africa. Imagine the number of people who lose their lives to this deadly disease. For years, the world has been experimenting with vaccines for this cause. However, this is the first time we are having a positive result.
The public impact of the vaccine in the world is massive. The vaccine was trialed in Burkina Faso on 450 children, and it was found to be safe. The vaccine proved to be”high-level efficacy” over 12 months of follow-up. The next trial phase is happening in four African countries, where 5,000 children between the ages of five months and three years will be tested.
While malaria is preventable, it could be life-threatening. Sadly, malaria has killed more people than coronavirus and some of the deadliest plagues.
Most tourists coming to Africa are scared of contracting malaria. People who have not suffered from malaria might have serious complications if they get bitten by mosquitoes in Africa.
The World Health Organization provides an estimate of 229 million cases worldwide in 2019 and 409,000 deaths. The number could be higher because of the lack of accurate data. Malaria starts with symptoms such as fever, headaches, and chills.
If malaria is left untreated, it could lead to severe illness and often death. Before now, the malaria vaccine had only proven 55% efficacy in trials on African children. This is not the first time we are getting hope to curb this menace. In countries like Ghana, vaccines against malaria had been rolled out. However, they were ineffective against malaria. In 2019, the trial of the malaria vaccine started.
The problem of getting a vaccine for malaria is that we have thousands of genes, which is difficult to manage. The phase III trial of the vaccine is what the world is awaiting with positivity. Everyone wants the result to be positive.
A proven malaria vaccine would go a long way in relieving Africa of the huge amounts of money which it currently spends on the disease to tackle some of its other problems. Do you see this vaccine coming to fruition?
