By Joy Odigie
Benin – The Vice President of the Commonwealth Medical Association, Dr Osahon Enabulele, has commended Global Fund’s decision to commit 15 million dollars to deployment of malaria vaccine in sub-Sahara Africa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the funding which was secured by the World Health Organisation will be for the first phase of trial of the world class malaria vaccine called RTS,S in Africa in the year 2018.
The vaccine was developed by British drug maker, GlaxoSmithKline (GKS), in partnership with the non-profit PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative and part-funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Enabulale told NAN in Benin on Thursday that the news of the funding was cheering.
He urged African leaders to see the move as a wakeup call to scale up intervention toward reducing the burden of the disease on the continent.
“Though I am elated at the alluring news of Global Fund’s 15 million dollars support for the deployment of Malaria vaccine for trial phase in Africa, I consider it another shame that sub-Saharan African countries with the heaviest burden of malaria still have to look up to external funders to solve their largely African problem.
“This, in my view, is a very serious cause for concern.
“I, therefore, hope that this effort by Global Fund, GSK and its funding partners will be taken by the various governments in Africa as another wakeup call to scale up their national malaria control and eradication intervention strategies to more effectively protect Africans from malaria and its devastating complications’’, he said.
Enabulele, a former President of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), said that the prevalence of malaria among the under-five children in Africa was still highly unacceptable.
He urged African governments to demonstrate increased commitment to the eradication of the disease from the continent and the entire world.
“Despite the current economic climate, I urge the Federal Government of Nigeria and other African governments to make greater commitment to research efforts for development of malaria vaccine.
“I am convinced that Africa’s long-term success in the global campaign to defeat malaria will be greatly enhanced with improved investments in research for development of an effective vaccine as well as research into other ways of combating emerging threats such as parasite resistance.
“This is more so as the RTS,S vaccine to be tried in the African pilots is currently said to be partially effective, with a limited efficacy.
“Governments must strengthen their national malaria control programmes to ensure widespread population access to life-saving and cost-effective interventions.
“They should show increased commitment to financial and human resources to health; sustain training of health workers, and increase distribution of insecticide-treated nets.
“They should also increase investment in research, and health enlightenment of their citizens as these will help in the attainment of the Sustainable Developmental Goals,’’ he said.
