( MENAFN - African Press Organization) Download logo Chad today kicked off an ambitious triple vaccine rollout, including the R21 malaria vaccine, marking a significant step forward in its efforts to safeguard the health and well-being of millions of children. Along with the World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended R21 malaria vaccine, Chad is simultaneously rolling out PCV13 pneumococcal conjugate and rotavirus vaccines, targeting 19.7 million children aged between six months and five years, among them 168 522 (aged between six and 15 months) will receive the malaria vaccine being introduced in 28 priority districts.
WHO, together with partners including GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and Gates Foundation, is supporting the triple vaccine rollout in Chad, which has received a total of 157 900 doses of the R21 vaccine. “This is a very important day for Chad and its children. Malaria vaccines are a breakthrough for child health and malaria control, and the scale up of accessibility in Africa will save tens of thousands of young lives every year,” said Dr Anya Blanche-Philomene Malanga, WHO Representative in Chad.
Today's launch brings to 14 the number of countries on the continent that offer malaria vaccination, extending access to more comprehensive malaria prevention. Malaria remains endemic in Chad. In 2023 the country recorded about 1.
75 million cases of which 36.4% were children under five years of age. A consistent primary health care challenge, malaria cases .
