Malaria prevention : A new vaccine coming soon to CameroonA Cameroon

It will be implemented in 10 health districts in Cameroon, and then expanded to other health facilities in the country in early 2024.

This is the good news that made more than one happy at the end of the commemorative
ceremony of the 14th World Malaria Day, last April 25 in Yaounde. “There is a new vaccine that will be made available to the public, starting with three countries. Cameroon is one of these three nations. And the Ministry of Public Health will have the opportunity to test it in Cameroon in the coming months. And it will be in ten districts
in Cameroon,” said Judith Hedje, an expert on health issues from the United States Embassy in Cameroon. To this end, the MinHealth said it will be a long process, although Cameroon is chosen among the countries that will benefit from this gesture. “I think that the information you have received about the districts
that will implement these vaccines first and the expansion at the beginning of 2024 should help us to improve the morbidity
and mortality rate of malaria in Cameroon,” said Manaouda Malachie.
Despite the arrival of the new vaccine against malaria that will strengthen the fight against this disease, the head of health soldiers
recalled the need to involve all social strata in this battle. “We have all seen that out of 100 deaths, children from zero to five years old represent 71%. This is to say that the Ministry of Public Health, alone, cannot defeat malaria. The whole population must contribute,” said Manaouda
Malachie, Minister of Health. “The universal health coverage will provide free consultations, as well as the management of malaria in children aged 0 to 5 years. And it’s the same for simple or severe malaria,” added the Health Minister.
Medicines
Besides the vaccine, the World Health Organisation (WHO) intends
to support Cameroon on several levels. “More resources are needed. At the global level, the WHO report showed that between the need for programmes
and available funding, there is a gap of 3.8 billion dollars.
In the case of malaria in Cameroon itself, the gap is about 45%. This would mean that the NMCP has interventions where it cannot act because of funding. There are new mosquito nets. The WHO is proposing drugs with combinations for malaria resistance,” said the WHO resident
representative in Cameroon,
Phanuel Habimana. Thus, Cameroon will be able to join the three African countries that have tested the vaccine. Notably, Mali, Kenya and Ghana. To date, more than one million 300 children have already been vaccinated, according to WHO.