Cote d'Ivoire has embarked on its first nationwide vaccination campaign against malaria, a major public health concern in the country. The initiative, launched on Monday, aims to protect children from the mosquito-borne disease, which claims the lives of four people daily, including three children under the age of five.
The Ministry of Health has included the anti-malarial vaccine in the national vaccination calendar for children after receiving 656,600 doses at the end of June. Four doses will be administered free of charge at six, eight, nine, and 15 months of age.
"This decision marks a significant step forward in protecting our children against this disease," said Health Minister Pierre Dimba.
While malaria mortality has decreased among children under five in Cote d'Ivoire, from 49 per 100,000 in 2018 to 19 per 100,000 in 2021, it remains a significant threat, according to health officials.
"In Ivory Coast, although the number of people dying from malaria has fallen significantly, the incidence has increased in the general population but also in children under the age of 5," said Fatim Tall, WHO representative in Cote d'Ivoire.