Scientists share data from first WHO-recommended malaria vaccine

Earlier this month, RTS,S/AS01, also known as RTS,S, became the first malaria vaccine recommended by the World Health organization (WHO) for wide-spread use among children in areas with moderate to high transmission of P. falciparum malaria. The recommendation was informed by the results of an ongoing WHO-coordinated pilot programme in 3 African countries that has reached over 800 000 children since 2019.

WHO and partners shared 2 years of data from the pilot programme in a virtual forum in mid-October and discussed next steps for the broader use of RTS,S as a new preventive tool in the malaria control toolkit.  Participants also took stock of new malaria vaccine candidates in the pipeline and of new initiatives to evaluate and produce vaccines in Africa. The forum was co-hosted by WHO and the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). Read further...