• UGI USER
  • May 21, 2024
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SII SENDS INITIAL MALARIA VACCINE DOSES TO AFRICAN NATIONS

Why in the news?

The Serum Institute of India (SII) dispatched the first set of R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine doses to Africa, marking a significant advancement in healthcare accessibility for the continent.

source:scribd

About R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine:

  • Development and Approval: The R21/Matrix-M vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, received support from EDCTP, Wellcome Trust, and EIB.
  • Efficacy and Recommendation: It is the second malaria vaccine endorsed by WHO, achieving 75% efficacy, following the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine.
  • Rollout: Approved for use in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Nigeria, with rollout scheduled for early 2024 in these countries and mid-2024 in others.
About the Serum Institute of India (SII):

  • Establishment: Founded in 1966 in Pune, India, by Cyrus Poonawalla as part of the Cyrus Poonawalla Group.
  • Product Range: Initially focused on immunobiologicals, including tetanus antitoxin, snake antivenom, DPT vaccine, and MMR vaccine. Expanded to various vaccines, antisera, blood plasma, and hormone products.
  • Global Impact: Vaccines used in international programs by WHO, UNICEF, and PAHO. As of 2023, the world’s largest vaccine producer, manufacturing 1.9 billion doses annually with plans to increase to 4 billion doses.

What is  Malaria ?

  • Definition: Malaria is a life-threatening disease transmitted by infected Anopheles mosquitoes.
  • Symptoms: Fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, chest pain, breathing problems, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, anemia, jaundice, and potentially coma.
  • Treatment: Preventable and curable with early treatment. Antimalarial drugs include chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, primaquine, artemisinin-based therapy, and atovaquone-proguanil.

Associated Article:

https://universalinstitutions.com/malaria-cases-in-india-who-report-2023/