Benin receives 215,900 doses of malaria vaccine

The Beninese government has received 215,900 doses of malaria vaccine at the Cotonou International Airport and will begin administering in February.

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Speaking at the handover ceremony, Beninese Minister of Health, Benjamin Hounkpatin, said the doses of vaccine were acquired by the government with the support of its partners in the health sector.

The partners included the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and Gavi, the vaccine alliance, which is an important step towards widespread vaccination against one of the most deadly diseases for African children.

“The introduction of the malaria vaccine into the Expanded Programme on Immunisation is a major step forward in the fight against this disease in Benin,” the minister said.

Hounkpatin added that the administration of the malaria vaccine in highly endemic areas would make it possible to control the disease and save tens of thousands of lives every year.

“The combination of vaccination with other measures to combat malaria, such as the use of insecticide-impregnated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women, and use of antimalarial drugs will help to significantly reduce malaria-related deaths,” he said.

Malaria remains endemic in Benin and is the leading cause of death among children under five, accounting for 40 per cent of outpatient consultations and 25 per cent of all hospital admissions in the country.

PUNCH/Wumi