The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
At the Global Vaccine Impact Conference in Spain on June 15, 2023, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, announced a contribution of US$3 million from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to support a historic malaria immunization campaign in Africa.
The Church’s donation will strengthen the coordinated efforts of Gavi, UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO) and others to procure and distribute the new RTS,S malaria vaccine. Thanks to the Church’s help, an estimated 39,500 African children will receive the four doses required for immunity against malaria as a direct result of this donation. This is part of a large, multiyear campaign to vaccinate 4.5 million children through 2025.
“Malaria remains one of Africa’s deadliest diseases, killing thousands of young children every single year,” said Guillaume Grosso, Gavi’s director of Sovereign and Private Sector Engagement, Donor Relations and Campaigns. “Thanks to vital funding from donors like The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we can help protect more children at risk as the vaccine rolls out.”
According to Gavi, an estimated 475,000 children under the age of five died of malaria in Africa in 2021, making it the biggest killer of children on the continent — but until recently no vaccine has been available. A malaria vaccine has been in development for over 18 years. The RTS,S vaccine was endorsed by the WHO for broad use in October 2021 after a successful pilot in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, where some 1 million children received the vaccine. This is the first vaccine against malaria approved by the WHO, with others currently in development.
“This highly-needed new RTS,S malaria vaccine will help protect thousands of young children from this deadly disease,” said Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop of the Church. “We are grateful to be a part of this historic initiative.”
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
