Malaria kills more than 600,000 people a year worldwide and causes illness in tens of millions more, with most deaths occurring among young children living in sub-Saharan Africa.
On October 6, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S), the world’s first malaria vaccine, for children at risk in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high transmission of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. The WHO recommendation was informed by the findings from pilot implementation of RTS,S through routine childhood immunization in areas of Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, as well as other available RTS,S evidence. The pilots are coordinated by WHO in partnership with the health ministry in each country and in collaboration with international partners, including PATH and GSK, developer of the vaccine.
