Malaria vaccine ready in 2 years – Colombian Scientist

• Posted on April 4, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Hopefully, the first vaccine against malaria with a 100% effectiveness would be ready in the next two years, to potentially help eradicate deaths as a result of the disease, which continues to wreck havoc in most parts of the world, especially in Africa.

Colombian immunologist Professor Manuel Elkin Patarroyo, who developed the first clinically synthesised vaccine against malaria, says he is optimistic to reach 100% effectiveness in the next two years.

“We hope that in the next two years we will have a fully protective and fully effective malaria vaccine.”

In an interview with The Finder newspaper, Professor Manuel said the vaccine, which is currently at 81% effectiveness, induces antibodies that neutralise the malaria parasites in humans.

He indicated the first trials of the vaccine in 1987-1994 showed between 20-40 protection levels in the people vaccinated.

He said he has concentrated within the last 20 years on finding the missing elements to bring the vaccine close to achieving the perfect result.

“Since then I have been very busy trying to find what we were missing in the first trial. I have dedicated the past 20 year to finding the other components to develop our vaccines with an efficacy with the capacity to protect.”

The vaccine gives protection against malaria infection for at least three years.

He was disappointed that although he made available the vaccine, which was about 20-40% effective, to the World Health Organisation, it has taken no steps to ensure its development.

“I donated the pattern for free to the WHO, and they did nothing despite the fact that it was a vaccine that was 20-40% effective, they didn’t do anything, and in the last 20 years, nothing has appeared better than that.”

Manuel, however, says his commitment is to ensure an efficient vaccine that will reduce the burden of malaria in the world.

He was grateful to the Ghanaian authorities for fruitful engagements.

Accessibility

According to Professor Manuel, the vaccines are chemically produced at extremely cheap price of US$0.10, which makes it affordable for everyone.

Burden of Malaria

The mosquito-borne disease kills some 600,000 people each year, of which more than 75% are children under the age of five, according to WHO. The disease kills about 1,200 children in sub-Saharan Africa on average per day.

In Ghana, about 3.5 million people contract malaria every year.

Approx. 20,000 children die from malaria every year (25% of the deaths of children under the age of five).

Even if a child survives, the consequences from severe malaria, such as convulsions or brain dysfunction, can hamper long-term development and schooling.

The annual economic burden of malaria is estimated at 1-2% of the Gross Domestic Product in Ghana, according to UNICEF.

Action

A Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Initiative started in 2003 to strengthen health services and make effective prevention and treatment strategies more widely available.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS), in co-operation with local government authorities and UNICEF, has distributed Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) to communities as part of efforts to prevent infection.

By Daniel NONOR, ACCRA