Novel Malaria Vaccine
Context:
- The WHO recommended the R21/MatrixM malaria vaccine on October 2. It was created by the University of Oxford, produced by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), and evaluated in a phase 3 study at five sites in Africa.
- Three nations, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Nigeria, have previously authorized the vaccination of infants younger than 36 months.
The risk posed by malaria:
- Humans and other vertebrates are susceptible to malaria, an infectious disease spread by mosquitoes. Ten to fifteen days after being bitten by an infected Anopheles mosquito, symptoms typically start to appear.
- Symptoms of human malaria usually consist of fever, exhaustion, nausea, and headaches. In extreme situations, it may result in death, coma, convulsions, or jaundice.
- Of the several malaria species, Plasmodium vivax is the most common, however Plasmodium falciparum is the cause of more deaths.
- Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America are among the tropical and subtropical regions of the world where malaria is most prevalent. The WHO reports that there were 6,19,000 malaria-related fatalities and 247 million cases of malaria globally in 2021. Countries with moderate to high malaria transmission rate give birth to over 25 million children annually.
- Between 2018 and 2022, India was able to lower the disease’s prevalence by 66%.
Malaria vaccination effectiveness:
- Given the urgency of malaria control and prevention, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the introduction of the first malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01, in high transmission African nations in 2021.
- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and others created RTS,S/AS01. Bharat Biotech has been given permission to produce this vaccine in India. The effectiveness of this vaccination is less than 60% in every trial. Up until today, no malaria vaccine has demonstrated the 75% standard efficacy specified by the WHO.
- Compared to RTS, S, and AS01, R21/MatrixM has a far higher efficacy. These findings suggest that the novel vaccine performed better in areas where malaria was seasonal than in areas where it was perennial. The timing of malaria episodes in nations where malaria is seasonal or permanent, according to the scientists, may be partially to blame for this.
- When malaria is seasonal, as opposed to year-round, the protection provided by vaccination is greater because it is administered shortly before the onset of the disease. When paired with other tactics like mosquito nets, the vaccination may help stop the spread of malaria.
- The WHO estimates that each dose of the R21/MatrixM produced by Serum Institute will cost between $2 and $4. The Serum Institute plans to manufacture “more than 100 million doses annually.” For those in need, it will therefore be accessible and reasonably priced.
Worldwide campaigns against malaria:
- The World Health Organization’s Global Malaria Program is directed by the “Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030,” which seeks to lower malaria case incidence and fatality rates from 2015 levels by at least 75% by 2025 and 90% by 2030.
- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation initiated the Malaria Elimination Initiative.
- The WHO started the E-2025 effort in 2021 with the goal of stopping the spread of malaria in 25 designated countries by 2025.
Initiatives against malaria in India:
- The National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme is a comprehensive initiative aimed at preventing and controlling diseases spread by vectors, such as dengue, chikungunya, malaria, and others.
- The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) treats patients, monitors and records cases, and uses insecticidal residual spray (IRS) or DDT, among other methods.
- The National Framework for Malaria Elimination 2016–2030 is based on the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 (GTS). Its objectives are to prevent the reintroduction of malaria, maintain the status of malaria-free areas where malaria transmission has been interrupted, and eradicate malaria (zero indigenous cases) in India by 2030.
- The ICMR is leading a research cooperation on malaria control called the Malaria Elimination Research Alliance-India, or MERA-India.
In summary:
- India hopes to eradicate malaria by 2030 and become malaria-free by 2027, and the research and approval of new vaccinations will help achieve this goal.
