In a significant leap forward in the global battle against malaria, Cameroon has inaugurated the world's first routine vaccine program against the mosquito-borne disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) approved the RTS,S vaccine, developed by British drugmaker GSK, aims to work alongside existing tools such as bed nets to combat malaria, which claims the lives of nearly half a million children under the age of five each year in Africa.

The RTS,S vaccine, approximately 40 years in the making, has undergone successful trials, including in Ghana and Kenya.

Cameroon now becomes the first country to administer doses through a routine immunization program, paving the way for 19 other countries to roll out similar initiatives this year, as reported by the global vaccine alliance Gavi.

An estimated 6.6 million children in these countries are targeted for malaria vaccination through the years 2024-25.

Mohammed Abdulaziz of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expressed the significance of this milestone, stating, "For a long time, we have been waiting for a day like this." The urgency is apparent as disruptions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, rising insecticide resistance, and other challenges have hindered the fight against malaria in recent years. WHO reported a year-on-year rise of around 5 million cases in 2022.

Cameroon's initiative marks a crucial step in addressing the malaria crisis, with more than 30 countries in Africa expressing interest in introducing the vaccine. Fears of a supply shortage have eased since the approval of a second vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, known as R21, which could be launched in May or June, according to Gavi's Chief Programme Officer Aurelia Nguyen.

While some experts have expressed skepticism, emphasizing the importance of not diverting attention and funding from the broader fight against malaria and established prevention tools like bed nets, health experts at the briefing assured that the vaccine rollout includes extensive community outreach. This aims to combat any vaccine hesitancy and underscores the importance of continuing to use all protective measures alongside the vaccines.

The historic launch of the malaria vaccination program is poised to save tens of thousands of children's lives annually, marking a crucial milestone in the global effort to eradicate this deadly disease.