Health
WHO Endorses World’s First Malaria Vaccine

By Adedapo Adesanya
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday endorsed the first-ever vaccine for malaria after many years of waiting.
This has been regarded as a historical event as the drug would save the lives of tens of thousands of children lost to the disease in Africa each year.
Malaria is among the oldest known and deadliest of infectious diseases with data showing that it kills about half a million people each year, nearly all of them in sub-Saharan Africa — among them 260,000 children under age 5.
Called Mosquirix, the new malaria vaccine is given in three doses between ages 5 and 17 months, and a fourth dose roughly 18 months later.
Following the clinical trials, the vaccine was tried out in three countries — Kenya, Malawi and Ghana — where it was incorporated into routine immunization programs.
More than 2.3 million doses have been administered in those countries, reaching more than 800,000 children. That bumped up the percentage of children protected against malaria in some way to more than 90 per cent from less than 70 per cent
The new vaccine, made by GlaxoSmithKline, rouses a child’s immune system to thwart Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest of five malaria pathogens and the most prevalent in Africa.
The vaccine is not just a first for malaria — it is the first developed for any parasitic disease.
Speaking on the feat, Dr Pedro Alonso, director of the WHO’s global malaria programme said, “To have a malaria vaccine that is safe, moderately effective and ready for distribution is a historical event.”
For more than 100 years, malaria research has had various vaccine candidates that never made it past clinical trials but the results with Mosquirix makes it the outlier.
This is set to replace bed nets which are considered the most widespread preventive measure as it cuts malaria deaths in children under age 5 by about 20 per cent.
Against that backdrop, the new vaccine, even with modest efficacy, is the best new development in the fight against the disease in decades, some experts said.
This week, a working group of independent experts in malaria, child health epidemiology and statistics, as well as the WHO’s vaccine advisory group, met to review data from the pilot programmes and make their formal recommendation to Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the global health body.
The next step is for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, to determine that the vaccine is a worthwhile investment. If the organization’s board approves the vaccine, it will purchase the vaccine for countries that request it, a process that is expected to take at least a year.
Health
Nigeria Tightens Surveillance at Entry Point Amid Fresh Ebola Outbreak

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

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.
Health
Augusta Ikpea-Enaholo Heads Edo State Health Insurance Commission

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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