Malaria vaccine begins wide-scale testing in Malawi

Malaria cases appear to be on the rise again after a decade of success in combating the deadly disease.

RTS,S — the only malaria vaccine to successfully pass clinical trials — will now be made available to 360,000 children in Kenya, Malawi and Ghana in the first round of implementation testing.

Immunologist Faith Osier spoke to the Sierra Leone Times about the process and next steps for her work, tracking the efficacy and potential side effects of the vaccine, the results of which are expected in 3-5 years.

“While we wait, the scientific effort to develop a more effective vaccine will continue as vigorously as ever,” she said. “Researchers like myself are energized by the limited success of the current vaccine and are convinced that we can do better.”
Watch Faith Osier’s TED Talk.

This entry was posted in Humanitarian Aid, International Cooperation by Grant Montgomery.