Start of endgame for malaria with new vaccine, says expert

The malaria vaccine is one of the game-changing innovations of the 21st century that will make children more secure

Mosquito-borne malaria is a global killer. With the World Health Organization (WHO) recommending widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission, it would come a major tool in the fight and India will also be benefited.

DH’s Mrityunjay Bose speaks to Dr Kaushik Sarkar, Director, Global Center for Malaria & Climate Solutions, Malaria No More.

Please share some details about the vaccine that the WHO has approved.

The recommendation is based on results from an ongoing pilot programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi that is being carried out from 2019. RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine should be provided in a schedule of 4 doses in children from 5 months of age. The malaria vaccine, RTS,S, acts against Plasmodium falciparum — the most deadly malaria parasite globally.

How will the vaccine supplement efforts?

The malaria vaccine is one of the game-changing innovations of the 21st century that will make a child more secure. It will provide an important choice for the country to consider in its armament against the deadly disease to accelerate the malaria endgame.

Also Read | All you need to know about Mosquirix, the first malaria vaccine backed by WHO

Could you please elaborate on the Indian situation?

In 2015 at the East Asia Summit held in Malaysia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the 18 global leaders who pledged to eliminate malaria by 2030. We are very optimistic about the deadline. We have a National Framework for Malaria Elimination 2016-30. In this roadmap, India set a target of ending the transmission in 26 low and moderate endemic states by 2022. The remaining high-burden states are targeted to be freed of malaria by 2027.

Could you specify in terms of figures vis-a-vis cases and deaths in India?

We have seen one of the largest reductions in the past five years or so. Around five years ago in India, we had one million cases. In 2019, we had around 3,00,000 cases while in 2020, less than 2,00,000 cases were reported. As far as deaths are concerned, we are just in double-digits. However, asymptomatic malaria cases are surely a big challenge.

Which states report large cases in India?

There are a few of them — Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and NorthEastern states like Assam and Meghalaya. At one point in time, Odisha used to throw up the bulk of 40 per cent of cases, but now it has come down.

When will this new vaccine be available in India?

The vaccine has been recommended by the WHO for widespread use in moderate to high endemic settings, especially in Falciparum malaria prevalent settings. India has significant vivax burden also. This vaccine provides a choice for India to consider, but whether and in which setting it can be used would require discussions. I am sure that the government will hold discussions with stakeholders to discuss specific strategies going forward.

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