18 million doses of first-ever malaria vaccine allocated to 12 African countries for 2023–2025: Gavi, WHO and UNICEF

GENEVA - Twelve countries across different regions in Africa are set to receive 18 million doses of the first-ever malaria vaccine over the next two years. The roll out is a critical step forward in the fight against one of the leading causes of death on the continent.

The allocations have been determined through the application of the principles outlined in the Framework for allocation of limited malaria vaccine supply that prioritizes those doses to areas of highest need, where the risk of malaria illness and death among children are highest.

Since 2019, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have been delivering the malaria vaccine through the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP), coordinated by WHO and funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and Unitaid. The RTS,S/AS01 vaccine has been administered to more than 1.7 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi since 2019 and has been shown to be safe and effective, resulting in both a substantial reduction in severe malaria and a fall in child deaths. At least 28 African countries have expressed interest in receiving the malaria vaccine.

In addition to Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, the initial 18 million dose allocation will enable nine more countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone and Uganda, to introduce the vaccine into their routine immunization programmes for the first time. This allocation round makes use of the supply of vaccine doses available to Gavi, Vaccine Alliance via UNICEF. The first doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in countries during the last quarter of 2023, with countries starting to roll them out by early 2024.

“This vaccine has the potential to be very impactful in the fight against malaria, and when broadly deployed alongside other interventions, it can prevent tens of thousands of future deaths every year,” said Thabani Maphosa, Managing Director of Country Programmes Delivery at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “While we work with manufacturers to help ramp up supply, we need to make sure the doses that we do have are used as effectively as possible, which means applying all the learnings from our pilot programmes as we broaden out to a new total of 12 countries.”

Fake medical info

Seniors need less sleep

Cannabis cures cancer

Malaria remains one of Africa’s deadliest diseases, killing nearly half a million children under the age of 5, and accounting for approximately 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of deaths in 2021.

“Nearly every minute, a child under 5 years old dies of malaria,” said UNICEF Associate Director of Immunization Ephrem T Lemango. “For a long time, these deaths have been preventable and treatable; but the roll-out of this vaccine will give children, especially in Africa, an even better chance at surviving. As supply increases, we hope even more children can benefit from this life-saving advancement.”

“The malaria vaccine is a breakthrough to improve child health and child survival; and families and communities, rightly, want this vaccine for their children. This first allocation of malaria vaccine doses is prioritised for children at highest risk of dying of malaria,” said Dr Kate O’Brien, WHO Director of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals. “The high demand for the vaccine and the strong reach of childhood immunisation will increase equity in access to malaria prevention and save many young lives. We will work tirelessly to increase supply until all children at risk have access.”

Heart of Hope

Studies show that seniors need the same amount of sleep as other adults (7-9 hours each night), although they tend to wake up earlier because they go to sleep earlier. A restful sleep is essential to health. Those with impaired sleep might need a Sleep Study to rule in or out Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which could effectively be managed with the use of CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device, the gold standard of care for OSA. Untreated, OSA could lead to a host of illnesses, like high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and even cancer. Hence, endangering longevity.

Kissing pets is safe

Kissing pets or allowing pets to kiss you is dangerous. Pets lick their anus and their saliva could have various bugs like Salmonella, E. Coli, Clostridia and Campylobacteria which could cause intestinal diseases in humans. People getting ill from licking (with) their pets results from oral contact with fecal residue in the pets’ mouth. Obviously, allowing pets to lick your face is also unhealthy.

Shrimp-Vit C combo poisonous

Social media posts claiming eating shrimp and taking Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) leads to arsenic poisoning are false. This fake news, like countless others in social media, are irresponsible disinformation that could hurt people. The great potential of social media in benefiting mankind as a whole is there to be harnessed. Let’s all use this modern venue of social interaction to make our world, and our life, everyone’s life, better.

COVID-19

Is A Hoax

The one who posted this in social media must have been under the influence of a mind-altering condition called stupidity! Other claims that exploded in social media included the following: Vaccines caused infertility; COVID-19 was caused by 5G technology; the vaccines kill more people than they saved; masks activate the coronary virus; hydrochloroquine was effective against the virus; dangerous short-cut was taken in the development of the mRNA vaccines, and many others.

Claims that cannabis cures cancer abound but scientific evidence points to the contrary. Cannabis does not cure cancer. Cannabis contains about 540 chemical substances. The name “marijuana” refers to parts of cannabis that contains tetrahydro cannabinol (THC). Cannabidiol (CBD) compound is found in marijuana. None of these compounds cure cancer. Some studies even showed that THC may not be effective as a neuro-pain killer either.

Vaccines kill

False. Vaccines in general, and COVID-19 vaccines in particular, do not cause deaths, contrary to some fake news. Fact-checking it, via SciCheck Digest and now available scientific data, reveals this: “Pre-school vaccines and other required vaccines have saved billions of lives over the past several decades. COVID-19 vaccines, which have also saved billions, significantly reduced the risk of dying from SARS-CoV2 virus. Most of the deaths occurred before the vaccines were developed. Serious side-effects were rare. Excess deaths among working-age adults in 2021-2022 were driven (caused) by COVID-19 itself and other factors, not vaccination. Faulty logic underlies claims that vaccines caused mass disability and economic harm.” Some people had allergic reactions to the vaccines and successfully treated for them. But there was no evidence that the vaccines directly caused any deaths.

Metformin: a bad drug

French physician Jean Sterne was the first to purse the glucose-lowering effect of metformin for diabetes in 1957. This drug was first approved in Canda in 1972, and subsequently in the USA in 1995, for Type 2 diabetes mellitus. There were more than 93 million prescriptions for metformin in the United States in 2020. This wonder drug has been used effectively for T2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and polycystic ovary syndrome. There are various brand names for metformin. Besides these, metformin has been found to improve fertility among women having trouble getting pregnant, prevent complications in pregnancy, help control obesity, slow down cognitive decline, prevent age-related illnesses, and aid in slowing aging. Definitely not a bad drug!

Ginger better than chemo

Only malicious ill-intentioned mind could spread such dangerous falsehood in a any media, vic- timizing suffering cancer patients on chemo, confusing them to opt for ginger instead of chemo. That is criminal! Other items touted as “better than chemo” are papaya leaf juice, okra, herbs, thyme, jasmine, etc. This could deprive an unsuspecting patient the possible benefits from chemo. While the freedom of speech is sacred and must be preserved for all, the First Amendment was not established to help promote lies and disinformation. There ought to be a law against purveyors of falsehood to hold them accountable and liable, and enforced to its fullest!

One cigarette a day is safe

A poison, no matter how minimal, is still a poison. One stick of cigarette a day will have the same harmful effects on the throat, lungs, and cardiovascular system. It might take the damage longer time to develop but it is guaranteed to cause the injury, eventually. If one is able to reduce this unhealthy (potentially deadly) habit to one stick a day, totally abstaining from smoking is evidently achievable.

Marijuana is not addictive

Against conventional wisdom, marijuana is addictive. As the tolerance to the substance becomes more intense, the amount required to feel the effect increases. There are many hooked on marijuana who find it hard to quit. The best is obviously not to start the unhealthy use of the drug for recreational purposes at all. Use of marijuana increases the risk for memory illness, stroke, heart and diseases, anxiety, paranoia, depression. Some of the health benefits of quitting marijuana are: Improvement in respiratory health; improved mental clarity and greater cognitive function; lesser vulnerability to mental health issues; better cardiac health; better relationship with family and friends.

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, bestowed by then Indiana Governor, later a Senator, and a presidential candidate, the late Honorable Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, Astronaut Gus Grissom (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

By TIM PEDROSA FOCUSING ON OUR GOAL

Within you is the power to rise above any situation or struggle and transform into the brightest, strongest version of you ever! Let us never give up on something we really want; be patient, everything comes to us at the right moment. When we are strong enough to let go, and patient enough to wait for what we deserve, we get what we want. I have fallen, cried, been angry, unfairly treated and manipulated by some people and was afraid many times in my journey we call life; but even when I was hurting, even when I was desperate; I always found a way to keep going with determination and focused to my goal.

We should never give up because of one bad chapter in our life. We must keep going; our story does not end there. Sometimes we have to go through the worst to get the best. Sometimes we have to give time some time. Patience is not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting. Positivity, confidence and persistence are keys in life , so never give up on yourself – Khalid.

My past has not defined me, destroyed me, deterred me, nor defeated me. What I have gone through in life has not discouraged me but only strengthened my faith and my determination to keep pursuing a decent and comfortable life. I have learned that struggling and suffering are the essence of a life worth living. If we are not pushing ourselves beyond the comfort zone, if we are not demanding more from ourselves, expanding and learning as we go; we are choosing a numb existence. There is no substitute for hard work. Never give up. Never stop believing. Never stop fighting – Hope Hicks.

Our life is not meant to be lived in constant sorrow. If we stick to what is good, what is true, honest and what is real at any cost, I can assure you, we will always prevail. Most likely, we will realize our dream. I have learned to always be true to myself, yet always be open to learn; to work hard, and never give up on my dreams even when nobody else believes that they can come true but me. I believe these are real tools we need not matter what we do in life to stay focused on our goal.

Everyone has sadness and struggles with hardship and pain but we grow in wisdom and strength as we fight to maintain our sanity. So let us smile and recognize our courage, strength and talents that we can meet every challenge in our life. Perhaps we can learn from the butterfly, we can go through a great deal of struggle and darkness and yet become something beautiful. Don’t quit before the miracle happens. Never give up, be confident in what you do. There may be tough times but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your objectives and to win against all odds – Marta Tough