WHO moves to roll out first malaria vaccine in Africa

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — As the World Health Organization announces the next step in its rollout of the world's first authorised malaria vaccine in three African countries, concerns about its value have come from an unlikely source: the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, arguably the vaccine's biggest backer.

WHO endorsed the vaccine last fall as a “ historic ” breakthrough in the fight against malaria, but the Gates Foundation told The Associated Press this week it will no longer offer direct financial support to the shot although it will fund an alliance backing the vaccine.

Some scientists say they're mystified by that decision, warning it could leave millions of African children at risk of dying from malaria as well as undermine future efforts to solve intractable problems in public health.

The vaccine, sold by GlaxoSmithKline as Mosquirix, is about 30% effective and requires four doses.

The malaria vaccine has “a much lower efficacy than we would like,” Philip Welkhoff, the Gates Foundation's director of malaria programmes, told the AP.

Explaining its decision to end support after spending more than $200 million and several decades getting the vaccine to market, he said the shot is relatively expensive and logistically challenging to deliver.

“If we're trying to save as many lives with our existing funding, that cost-effectiveness matters,” he said. The Gates Foundation will continue its financial support to Gavi, a vaccines alliance that is also backed by WHO and the World Bank.

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