State to expand use of malaria jab in lake region
The Ministry of Health will from June expand the use of malaria vaccine in the lake region.
Rollout to more counties follows good results posted during the vaccine’s pilot project.
The ministry says, malaria prevalence has declined from a prevalence rate of 11 per cent in 2010 to six per cent in 2020.
Health officials yesterday revealed that the numbers, coupled with the successful pilot of the new malaria vaccine in some sub-counties in the endemic lake region, have informed the decision to expand the vaccination against the killer disease.
“In relation to this, I am pleased to announce that the ministry has received a positive advisory from the Kenya National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group to expand the use of malaria vaccine within the lake endemic region,” Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said during a precursor meeting ahead of next week’s World Malaria Day celebrations.
In a speech presented on his behalf by Chief Administrative Secretary Dr Rashid Aman, Kagwe said this means more sub-counties within the lake region will now be able to vaccinate children beginning June.
Immunisation sites
“I, therefore, once again appeal to all parents and caregivers with children aged six months to 14 years from the eligible malaria-endemic sub-counties to take them to the selected immunisation sites for the vaccine, and to ensure they receive all the four recommended doses,” he said.
Vaccine is being administered for free.
Head of Division at the National Malaria Programme, Dr George Githuka, said overall, Kenya has a malaria prevalence of six percent, which is not evenly distributed across the country.
“Areas with the highest burden are the lake endemic counties that are around Lake Victoria where one in five people have malaria at any given time. The second highest disease burden area is Coast region next to the Indian Ocean where one in 20 people have malaria at any given time,” explained Githuka.
However, this was not happening in all the sub-counties.
“We have some that we were giving the vaccine, and in others we were using the opportunity to compare the vaccine, so that we can be certain how effective it is in order for scale up,” he said.
In September 13, 2019, Kenya, in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), rolled out the world’s first malaria vaccine in a phased introduction programme in certain parts of Homa Bay, Kisumu, Migori, Siaya, Busia, Bungoma, Vihiga, and Kakamega counties.
The country is among three in Africa that will administer the vaccine, known as RTS, S, as part of its routine childhood immunisation programme.
Other countries rolling out the vaccine are Malawi and Ghana.
“But since the vaccine is still new, there is a challenge of adequate stocks being produced and having the resources to procure more stocks and providing them to the community,” Githuka said.
He further stated that the ministry is also assessing availability of resources and advice from the Kenya Vaccine Immunisation Technical Advisory group in order to scale up the vaccination.
Already, 275,000 Kenyan children have received at least one out of the four scheduled doses of the malaria vaccine while over 45,000 children have received their full course.
In October last year, WHO recognised the incredible work by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) and contribution by children in Kericho, Kisumu and Kilifi who were involved in the trials officially recommending for its use.
“This marks ‘a historic day’ as the vaccine has taken 30 years to come to fruition,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
This was after a decision by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts in Immunisation and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG), which resolved to back the widespread deployment of the jab following trials in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi.
Leading expert
Dr Simon Kariuki, Chief Research Officer at Kemri, and a leading expert on malaria, said the vaccine was a game-changer.
“We showed that this vaccine is safe, and can be given to young African children who bear the higher burden of malaria,” he said.
Pilot trial had shown the vaccine could “reduce malaria incidents in young children in these areas by almost 40 per cent,” he said.
While this was happening, the national and county governments, together with partners had achieved a milestone in the fight against malaria.
In view of this, Kagwe revealed that the achievement was as a result of sustained effort and collaboration between the Ministry of Health, county governments, local communities, development partners in health and the global malaria community.
