New malaria vaccine offers hope to millions
Recommended for Middle Grades
We celebrate World Malaria Day on 25 April every year. Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites, transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes.
Despite developments in medicines and vaccines, malaria affects more than 200 million people every year. A majority of these cases are in Africa.
However, a new malaria vaccine offers hope, brighter than ever before. This vaccine has shown to be 77% efficient in early trials on young children.
It is the first malaria vaccine to reach the target of at least 75% efficacy set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The vaccine was tried on 450 children between the ages of 5 and 17 months in Burkina Faso, West Africa. It was found to be safe and highly efficient over the period of a year. According to the WHO, children under the age of five are the most vulnerable to malaria.
What next?
The vaccine is being developed by the University of Oxford and vaccine maker Novavax. Now, they will conduct more trials of the vaccine together with the Serum Institute of India.
Which mosquito causes malaria?
Usually, people get malaria after being bitten by a female Anopheles mosquito which has been infected with parasites. Only Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria.
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