Wednesday, June 22, 2011

News : Africa: Malaria Vaccine On Final Phase Of Clinical Trials In Seven Countries

LILONGWE (Malawi), June 22 (BERNAMA-NNN-IRIN) -- The malaria vaccine that has eluded medical science for decades is now within reach, with the final phase of clinical trials underway in seven African countries, including Malawi, where the disease claims 6,500 lives a year, most of them children under the age of five.

Tisungane Mvalo, head of the research team at the Malawian trial site, which is being run in partnership with the University of North Carolina's Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, said the current methods for controlling the incidence of malaria in Malawi have had limited success.

"We have had a moderate reduction in infant mortality from interventions like bed nets and insecticides but malaria remains the leading cause of infant mortality," he said. "There still needs to be an additional intervention."

The multi-country trial of the malaria vaccine RTS,S, made by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, is one of the largest ever carried out in sub-Saharan Africa. to read more view original news

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