YAOUNDE, Cameroon—Honorine Asogue, 34, said she got a welcome surprise when she went to the Soa District Hospital on the outskirts of Cameroon’s political capital, Yaounde, on Jan. 13.
Her early morning visit to the health facility was to get a Vitamin A vaccine for her 6-month-old daughter, Miracle Chefor, but she was also informed that Miracle had just reached the eligible age for the world’s first malaria vaccine.
“My daughter is very lucky and I feel that she is now protected against malaria,” said Asogue, who recalls almost losing Miracle during pregnancy to the life-threatening parasitic disease.
“I live in a malaria-prone area. I suffered from the disease just two weeks ago. I am happy for my daughter. I look forward to completing her remaining three vaccine schedules,” Asogue told The Epoch Times.
As Asogue left, Murielle Tsague, 25, quickly stepped forward to have her baby son, Meli Derek, vaccinated too.
She believes the vaccine is important for Derek, who just turned 6 months. “I now feel a bit relieved that my child is shielded from malaria,” Tsague told The Epoch Times.
“He has never suffered from malaria but I suffered from it during pregnancy. The vaccine is a big step in the fight against malaria.”
Jan. 22 marks exactly one year since Cameroon, with the support of global organizations Gavi, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and World Health Organization (WHO), introduced the world’s first malaria vaccine—the RTS,S—across 42 of its 206 health districts.
The program set an ambitious target of reaching at least 50 percent of eligible children in its first year.
The Expanded Program on Immunization in Cameroon reports that as of Nov. 30, 2024, 138,053 children received their first dose, 98,102 their second dose, and 71,413 completed the three-dose series.
This translates to a cumulative coverage rate of 61 percent for the first dose, surpassing the initial target by 11 percentage points.
“These achievements are highly encouraging and reflect a well-coordinated effort to combat malaria, one of Cameroon’s most pressing public health challenges,” Dr. Leonard Kouadio, chief of the health and HIV section at UNICEF’s offices in Cameroon, told The Epoch Times in an email.
“They demonstrate not only the feasibility of introducing the malaria vaccine but also the growing trust of communities in vaccination as a critical strategy in the fight against preventable diseases.”
Cameroon’s tropical climate provides an ideal habitat for mosquitos, making it one of the 11 countries most affected by malaria.
WHO estimates that the Central African nation records around 6 million cases annually.
The National Malaria Control Program in Cameroon reports a malaria hospital incidence of 113 cases per 1,000 inhabitants. At least 30 percent of all outpatient visits to health facilities are related to malaria.
The RTS,S malaria vaccine, also known as Mosquirix, was developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in partnership with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative.
It is designed to target the Plasmodium falciparum parasite that causes malaria, which is spread by anopheles mosquitoes.
The injectable vaccine is being administered free to Cameroonian children between 6 months and 2 years old.
With 553,100 doses of the malaria vaccine so far received, Cameroon aims to vaccinate half a million children by 2025.
It was the first time that doses of the vaccine were shipped to an African country outside of the three pilot nations—Kenya, Ghana, and Malawi—that were part of the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP).
More African countries, such as Burkina Faso, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Liberia quickly followed suit in 2024.
Of these deaths, 77 percent were children under 5 years of age, mostly in Africa.
Testimonies
One year after the introduction of the new malaria vaccine in Cameroon, medics and beneficiaries have been attesting to its life-changing impact.Hamadou Godje, head of the Gazawa Integrated Health Center in Cameroon’s Far North region—where malaria transmission is seasonally high—told The Epoch Times that there has been an “insignificant” hospitalization rate among children who received the new malaria vaccine.
“For the population, the advent of the vaccine was long overdue,” Godje said. “None of the children who followed the vaccination schedule showed serious malaria.
“Malaria is the first cause of mortality and childhood morbidity in this area and the cost of treatment is very exorbitant. Most families even attribute it to witchcraft.”
Down in Cameroon’s South Region, the new malaria vaccine has positively changed the lives of recipients with reduced health care costs within families, according to Niraka Todou Jean Claude, Regional Coordinator of the immunization program.
“The vaccine was well received in the South Region, particularly in the selected Kribi, Niete, and Sangmelima health districts,” Todou told The Epoch Times.
More than 5,000 children have so far received the vaccine in the region.
Medics at the Limbe Health District in Cameroon’s Southwest Region also confirm that the new vaccine has not only reduced malaria cases by 40 percent but significantly reduced malaria-related deaths.
“Malaria consultations among children below 5 has also dropped from 70 percent to about 55 percent with the administration of the vaccine,” Dr. Constance Njie, District Medical Officer at the Limbe Health District, told The Epoch Times.
Notwithstanding the overwhelmingly positive feedback on the impact of the vaccine, experts say ample time is needed to determine its real efficacy.
“For now, it is a little bit too early to scientifically determine the impact of the malaria vaccine,” said Dr. Tchokfe Shalom Ndoula, Permanent Secretary of Expanded Program on Immunization in Cameroon.
His views are echoed by UNICEF’s Kouadio, who notes that while it is still too early to evaluate the vaccine’s long-term impact, preliminary observations are promising.
“The introduction of the malaria vaccine has brought renewed hope as a powerful strategy to reduce the disease’s mortality and morbidity,” Kouadio told The Epoch Times.
“Reports from health districts where the vaccine has been introduced and testimonies from mothers suggest that children who have received the vaccine experience fewer malaria episodes compared to those who have not.”
He said that the vaccine alone cannot eliminate the burden of malaria.
“For optimal results, it must be integrated into a broader set of interventions,” he said.
These include the widespread use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women (IPTp), timely diagnosis and treatment, environmental hygiene measures to reduce mosquito breeding sites, and strong community engagement, Kouadio said.
“By combining the vaccine with these proven strategies, Cameroon can make significant strides in alleviating the burden of malaria, particularly among its most vulnerable populations.”
Dr. Wirngo Mohamadu Suiru, malaria program management specialist working with the President’s Malaria Initiative at the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID–Cameroon, said with the number of children vaccinated so far, there will be a “reduction” in malaria cases.
Rollout Challenges
Wirngo has identified issues in the malaria vaccine rollout, such as “suboptimal” communication—seen in a drop in coverage of the subsequent doses. In addition, logistics issues with the cold chain in some health facilities.“Training of health care providers was limited to only a few,” Wirngo said. “Insufficient financing limited the implementation of advanced strategies to reach far-off places limiting access to the vaccine. Finally, there was poor coordination between the [Expanded Program on Immunization] and the malaria programs,” he said.
Kouadio of UNICEF also deplores high dropout rates, unfamiliarity with the new schedule, and regional disparities in coverage.
“Some regions, especially those facing security challenges or access issues, continue to record lower vaccination coverage. These disparities hinder equitable access to the vaccine and the full realization of its potential impact,” Kouadio said.
He also observes that the introduction of a new vaccination schedule, particularly the second dose administered at 7 months, has proven challenging for parents as the timing does not align with traditional immunization appointments, making it harder for caregivers to remember and adhere to.
“There is a noticeable decline in the number of children returning for subsequent doses,” Kouadio said.
“While many children receive the first dose, fewer complete the second and third doses. This can be attributed to difficulties in tracking and following up with children after the initial vaccination.”
