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Routine Malaria Vaccinations in Africa Commence

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The routine malaria vaccinations in Africa have officially commenced, with Cameroon being the first country in the world to administer the vaccine to all eligible children who come into clinics.

Recall that the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved the use of the vaccine, RTS,S after undergoing various tests.

The vaccinations are being supervised on the continent by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance comments on this milestone, and are taking place across 42 health districts, chosen to give the most vulnerable children with the highest transmission and mortality rates in the country an opportunity to be protected from the devastating disease.

“Malaria claims too many lives each year, more than half a million children under 5 in Africa alone.

“Today represents a historic milestone as we will finally be able to offer a new tool in the fight against a disease that has impacted the African continent most of all, accounting for 95% of all deaths globally,” the Chief Programme Officer at Gavi, Aurélia Nguyen, said.

Cases of Malaria and deaths have been rising in Cameroon since 2017, and nearly 30 per cent of all hospital consultations are malaria-related.

Across the continent, around 20 countries have plans to introduce this year to reach a total of over 3 million children. Some have already received shipments of doses.

Introducing the vaccine in many countries in 2024 will depend on when the second WHO-prequalified malaria vaccine is available and the countries’ levels of preparedness.

Overall, more than 30 African countries have expressed interest in a routine malaria vaccination program.

Malaria vaccination has been a long time coming.

Nguyen said, “As an alliance, we have invested in studies and pilots, and sent powerful market signals to manufacturers, all to expedite this moment: approved vaccines available, and getting to those who need them most.”

“I will say: while Gavi is fully funded for its current strategic period, which ends in 2025, we must make sure financing is in place for our next 5-year period, from 2026-2030 – so that this vital work can continue in the future,” Nguyen added.

Business Post reports that the RTS,S malaria vaccine, also known as Mosquirix, was developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in partnership with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative.

It is designed to target the Plasmodium falciparum parasite that causes malaria, which is spread by anopheles mosquitoes.

More than 331,000 doses of RTS,S malaria vaccine landed in Yaoundé on Tuesday, November 22, 2023. This was the first time doses were shipped to an African country outside of the three pilot countries (Kenya, Ghana, Malawi) that were part of the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP), which ran from 2019 to 2023 and saw the RTS,S vaccine administered to more than 2 million children.

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

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Nigeria Tightens Surveillance at Entry Point Amid Fresh Ebola Outbreak

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By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria has tightened surveillance measures at entry points in the country owing to a fresh outbreak of Ebola disease in Uganda.

Last week, the Ugandan Ministry of Health confirmed the outbreak of the disease with one death and has now followed up with forty-four contacts.

With the latest development, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Mr Jide Idris, in an advisory said although Nigeria has not recorded any outbreak of the disease, it is putting in place preventive measures.

“There are no cases of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria. However, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and Partners through the National Emerging Viral Hemorrhagic Diseases (EVHD) Technical Working Group, continues to monitor disease occurrence and has initiated measures to strengthen our preparedness in the country.

“These include the update of our EVD emergency contingency plan, heightened surveillance especially at the points of entry, and optimizing diagnostic capacity for EVD testing in designated laboratories in cities with international airports of entry and the National Reference Laboratory. In addition, all Lassa Fever testing laboratories can be activated to scale up testing if the need arises.”

According to the NCDC DG, there are no Ebola vaccines in Nigeria at the moment.

“There are vaccines and therapeutics available for some strains of the Ebola virus. The approved vaccine for the Zaire species (EBV) is not currently available in the country but can be obtained from the WHO Afro and does not protect against the Sudan virus,” he said.

However, the NCDC boss said, “Early recognition, isolation of patients, and initiation of supportive treatment, implementing infection and control measures in health facilities and homes, tracing and monitoring of contacts, and safe burial practices, significantly reduce morbidity and the probability of death.”

Ebola disease is a severe, and often fatal disease caused by the Ebola virus. It is transmitted to humans via contact with wild animals and spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated surfaces.

Symptoms may include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, internal and external bleeding. It may appear 2 to 21 days after infection. Medical expertise are advised by the NCDC, in regard to this disease.

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i3 Shifts 3rd Cohorts Focus to Growth-Stage Healthtechs After Trump’s Orders

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By Adedapo Adesanya

Investing in Innovation Africa (i3), a pan-African initiative to support African health-tech startups to commercialise and scale their offerings has decided to make a pivotal change to its third cohort selection to prioritise the immediate support for 5-7 growth-stage companies building the future of pharmacy care in Africa.

This comes after the US State Department’s “stop-work” directive for foreign aid issued on January 25, which is anticipated to impact the distribution of essential medicine in Africa’s healthcare supply chains.

President Donald Trump issued the executive order freezing US foreign development assistance for 90 days upon assuming office.

One of the affected by the order is the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which offers humanitarian and development assistance to other countries, primarily by giving fundings to non-governmental organisations, governments, and others. USAID is crucial in combating HIV/AIDS and other health matters.

According to a statement shared with Business Post on Monday, i3 says the order highlights and intensifies the need for locally-driven, market-creating approaches to health product distribution and service delivery across Africa.

So now the programme funded by the Gates Foundation, MSD, Cencora, Endless Foundation, HELP Logistics (a subsidiary of the Kühne Foundation), Sanofi’s Global Health Unit and Chemonics, will concentrate its immediate efforts on helping innovative growth-stage startups unlock major partnerships to rapidly expand access to patient care.

Fifteen leading startups will be selected for this cohort including 10 early-stage startups innovating in healthcare delivery or product distribution and five growth-stage startups building the future of pharmacy care.

Early-stage startups will receive a $50,000 grant and growth-stage startups will receive a $225,000 grant to unlock major partnerships that can expand patient access across the continent.

For startups in the cohort,  i3 aims to facilitate at least 150 relationships with key healthcare organizations, worth at least $30M,  which will expand patient access while creating valuable local jobs.

Entries for the 3rd cohort are open until February 28 after which the selected startups will be announced on April 30.

Launched in 2022, i3 has empowered 60 African health innovators across 16  countries, exceeding expectations with 43 per cent women-led and 20 per cent Francophone-led ventures.

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Augusta Ikpea-Enaholo Heads Edo State Health Insurance Commission

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Augusta Ikpea-Enaholo

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The Edo State Health Insurance Commission (EDHIC) has a new Director General and is a dynamic and results-driven leader, Ms Augusta Ikpea-Enaholo,

With a vision for transformative healthcare and a deep sense of duty to Edo residents, Ms Ikpea-Enaholo is expected to lead the organisation into a new era of innovation and impact.

Her leadership is anticipated to not only strengthen the commission’s role in the state but also serve as a model for healthcare reform across Nigeria.

Before joining EDHIC, the new DG has built an outstanding career in maritime law, corporate governance, and legal advisory.

She has held key positions including Principal Legal Officer at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Executive Director at Lee Engineering and Construction, and CEO of Royal Oaks Events Limited. She also served as Lead Managing Partner at August Jury and a Board Member at Davex Limited.

With an academic foundation in law, she holds an LLB from the University of Kent, an LLM from the University of Bristol, and a Doctorate in Maritime Law from the International Maritime Law Institute in Malta.

Ms Ikpea-Enaholo is a distinguished expert in corporate governance, contract negotiation, dispute resolution, and organizational leadership.

She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association, and Nigerian Maritime Lawyers Association, and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, London.

Her transition to healthcare administration reflects her deep commitment to public service and health equity.

As the DG of EDHIC, she will prioritize transparency, innovation, as well as foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement to position Edo State as a leader in sustainable healthcare delivery.

She brings a wealth of experience spanning law, public administration, healthcare reform, and corporate governance. Her leadership will be instrumental in driving EDHIC’s mission to make quality healthcare accessible and affordable for all, especially vulnerable populations.

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