Malaria vaccine: 6-month-old Eyenga, one of the first children to receive their first doses in Cameroon
When she heard from a health worker that the malaria vaccine would be available on Monday 22nd of January 2024 in the health centre where her last baby, Eyenga, was born, Mbazoa, a 24-year-old mom, couldn’t wait.
By 8 a.m. on 22 January 2024, Mbazoa and Eyenga, her 6 months old daughter, was among the first parents to arrive at the Soa integrated health centre. “My first child, who is now 5 years old, has had several bouts of malaria, and we’ve had to go back and forth between home and hospital for him to be treated, not to mention the financial burden incurred and the stress we went through. That’s why this morning I wanted to be among the first, so that I do not miss the opportunity for my 6-month-old child to be vaccinated first”, she said, all smiles.
Just after Eyenga was vaccinated, Mbazoa said she was relieved, and the smile on her face proved she really was. Now she wants to spread the message that this new vaccine is available and free of charge to her family and friends: “I know that other mothers will be informed by health workers in the community. I’d also like to do my bit to ensure that children are as well protected as possible against this disease, which causes a great deal of fear among parents and expense for families,” she said with great emotion before heading home.
Eyenga was one of the thousands of children in Cameroon from 42 districts who received the vaccine against malaria this morning. The vaccine is part of the routine vaccination. Each child will have to receive 4 doses from 6 months to 2 years old.
The vaccine has been certified by WHO after pilot deployment in some African countries. Cameroon is the first African country to deploy the vaccine in its EPI programme, a milestone for the country.
Malaria is the number one infectious killer among under five children in Cameroon representing 13.7% of the deaths. The new vaccine is thus a great source of hope for the parents of the 6 months age children in 42 of the 200 districts that counts the country. Thanks to an improved use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and preventive seasonal treatment, the prevalence rate slightly decreased between 2011 and 2018, from 30% to 24%, with regional disparities, i.e. from 47% in the Centre, outside Yaoundé, to 8% in Douala (INS and ICF, 2020).
“It is a start, and we expect scaling up very soon for all the under five children in Cameroon”, said Nadine Perrault, UNICEF representative. Alongside with the Ministry of health and the EPI, UNICEF played a major role in this milestone with the procurement, transportation, and distribution of the vaccines, as well as the organization of training programs for healthcare personnel, and continues to support these professionals in their vital role of engaging with parents and communities to ensure the success of this life-saving initiative.
By Fabrice Coula, Communication Officer UNICEF Cameroon
