In the most recent update to its malaria guidelines, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that the vaccine RTS,S/AS01 be used to prevent P. falciparum malaria among children living in areas of moderate to high transmission.
This represents the first time a vaccine for malaria was recommended by the global organization.
“The first malaria vaccine is a major step forward for malaria control, child health, and health equity. If implemented broadly, the vaccine could save tens of thousands of lives each year,” Dr. Kate O’Brien, director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, said. “This guidance is essential to countries as they consider whether and how to adopt the vaccine as an additional tool to reduce child illness and deaths from malaria.”
Following the recommendation, WHO also published an updated position paper recommending the broader use of the vaccine among children most at risk. It summarized background information and provided context on malaria and its disease patterns. It also laid out the evidence for the efficacy of RTS,S, discussed its role alongside other preventive measures, and outlined recommendations for its broader deployment. All of this followed and was based on the October 2021 WHO Recommendation for RTS,S, and global advisory bodies’ assessments, including the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunization and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG).
Now, the malaria vaccine recommendation has been incorporated into WHO’s MAGICapp platform to unite its malaria recommendations into a single online platform. Following this, countries were encouraged to adapt the new guidance to their own local use.
“In recent years, WHO has been advising countries to move away from a ‘one-size fits all’ approach to malaria control, applying instead a mix of tools informed by local data and disease patterns,” Dr. Pedro Alonso, director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme, said. “The malaria vaccine is a breakthrough addition to the malaria toolkit.”
Supplies of RTS,S are expected to be limited for a while yet, and as such, WHO has laid out the foundations of a guide for their allocation. Additional tools and information to guide countries in adopting the vaccines are expected to follow in the months ahead.