Mozambique: Country sees 6.2M malaria cases, 196 related deaths in H1 2024

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Mozambique: Country sees 6.2M malaria cases, 196 related deaths in H1 2024

7:00 CAT | 07 Aug 2024

Photo: UNICEF Mozambique/X

Mozambique recorded 6.2 million cases of malaria in the first half of 2024, down 22% on the same period last year, and the number of deaths caused by the disease fell to 196, the government announced on Monday.

“Malaria continues to be one of the biggest public health problems in our country and, in part, conditions our economic development,” acknowledged the Minister of Health, Armindo Tiago, Monday in Zambezia province, during the start of the vaccination programme against the disease.

He said that in the first six months of 2024 alone Mozambique registered around 6.2 million cases of malaria, compared to eight million in the same period in 2023, which represents a 22% reduction.

He added that in the first half of 2024, 196 in-hospital deaths were recorded compared to 211 deaths in the same period in 2023, representing a reduction of around 7%.

“The aforementioned gains result from the use of combined and effective interventions that have an impact on reducing the burden of malaria in the country,” said the minister, adding that the new vaccine will be administered in all health facilities in Zambézia province.

“The selection of Zambézia province as a pioneer is related to the fact that it is the province with the highest burden of the disease, measured by the number of cases and deaths,” said the minister, who also emphasised that vaccination will be expanded to the whole country from 2025 onwards as the availability of the vaccine increases globally.

Mozambique started a malaria vaccination campaign in the country this Monday, starting in Zambézia province, in the centre of the country, with a target group of children aged 6 to 11 months, announced the ministry of health.

“The malaria vaccine has an effect on reducing severe cases and deaths from malaria,” reads a document from the ministry of health, which adds that the vaccination that starts today represents an investment, in the first phase, of US$381,229 (€348,000), financed by the government and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi), among other partners.

The Mozambican authorities previously announced that R21/Matrix-M, the second malaria vaccine for children, developed by Oxford University in the UK and approved in October by the World Health Organisation (WHO), will be used in the country.

The vaccine to be used in Mozambique is the second recommended by the WHO, after RTS,S/AS01 in 2021, following the advice of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG).

Source: Lusa