The Minister of Health, Hygiene and Prevention announced on Thursday, April 25, the introduction in the coming days in the Democratic Republic of Congo, of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine, a recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent malaria, alongside the celebration of World Malaria Day on April 25.

This vaccine is a health innovation and a scientific breakthrough for tackling this endemic disease among infants and children under five years of age.
Minister Roger Kamba made it known that in the DRC, the elimination of malaria is a major challenge that must be met by Congolese scientists and health personnel engaged in the fight against this disease to achieve the goal set for 2030.

Furthermore, he recommended that the entire community take action that could lead WHO to remove the DRC from the red list of countries affected by malaria, before recalling that R21 is the second malaria vaccine recommended by WHO, after the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, recommended in 2021. "These two vaccines allow us to effectively prevent malaria in children," WHO assures.

In a report from the National Malaria Control Program of 2023, nearly 27,657,762 cases were reported and 24,344 deaths mainly due to malaria were recorded in 2023.

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