Jumoke Olasunkanmi
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced the prequalification of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, marking a significant step in the global fight against malaria, particularly in regions where children bear a disproportionate burden of the disease.
In a statement released on Thursday, the WHO revealed that the recommendation to add the R21 vaccine to the list of prequalified vaccines was based on advice from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunisation and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group.
This move follows the endorsement in October to use the vaccine as a preventive measure against malaria in children.
The R21 vaccine, developed by Oxford University and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, joins the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine as the second WHO-prequalified malaria vaccine.
The pre-qualification of the R21 vaccine means increased accessibility to Vaccines as a means of preventing malaria in children being a prerequisite for vaccine procurement by UNICEF and gaining funding support for deployment from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
The Director of WHO’s Department of Regulation and Prequalification, Rogerio Gaspar, emphasised the importance of achieving WHO vaccine prequalification, saying, “Achieving WHO vaccine prequalification ensures that vaccines used in global immunisation programmes are safe and effective.”
According to Gaspar, WHO evaluates multiple products for prequalification each year, with the primary goal of ensuring greater access to safe, effective, and quality health products. The demand for malaria vaccines is high, and the addition of a second WHO-recommended and prequalified vaccine is expected to address supply limitations, particularly in African countries where malaria poses a significant public health risk.
Also, the Director of the Department of Immunisation, Vaccines and Biologicals, Kate O’Brien, hailed the prequalification of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine as a monumental stride in global health.
She stated, “Today marks a huge stride in global health, as we welcome the prequalification of R21/Matrix-M, the second malaria vaccine recommended for children in malaria-endemic areas.”
