ghana first to approve R-21 malaria vaccine

Malaria kills 620,000 people across the world each year, most of them young children.

Ghana’s  drug regulators have been the first country to initially approve the R-21 Malaria Vaccine based on the trial data from Bukina Faso, which has yet to be published publicly. The vaccine has been described as a "world-changer" by the leading experts in vaccine development . The preliminary studies in Burkina Faso showed the R-21 vaccine was up to 80% effective  against preventing the disease when given as three initial doses, and a booster a year later.

Ghana being the first country to approve the drug could represent the first step to eradicating Malaria across the world.  The vaccine could be accessible for many communities as it is expected to cost a couple of dollars per dose. Other African countries are also studying the data, as is the World Health Organization.