World Health Organization (WHO) Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, as well eminent health experts and scientists have hailed the new malaria vaccine developed by Oxford University researchers, as a major breakthrough in the global war against the deadly parasitic disease.

The latest vaccine is the first to achieve WHO-specified 75percent efficacy goal.

Dr. Ghebreyesus, in a tweet described the feat as ‘good news – a new #malaria vaccine, R21, shows promise in an area where malaria transmission is highly seasonal. Larger studies will tell more.’

Dr Michael Makanga, EDCTP Executive Director, congratulated ‘the Multi-stage Malaria Vaccine Consortium on these highly promising results from the Burkina Faso trial of R21.’

‘This study represents a key advance in the clinical development of the R21 malaria vaccine towards licensure, and an important step closer to malaria control and elimination,’ Makanga stated.

Gareth Jenkins, Director of Advocacy, Malaria No More UK, said ‘the effective and safe malaria vaccine would be a hugely significant extra weapon in the armoury needed to defeat malaria, which still kills over 270,000 children every year.’

The institution yesterday, confirmed its efficacy of 77 percent in African children, in its Twitter handle.

https://devcomradar.org/who-health-experts-hail-oxford-malaria-vaccine/