In a note made available on its official website, WHO indicates that this advance is the result of a pilot program that is underway in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, which has included more than 800,000 children since 2019.
Quoted in the statement, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of WHO, called this moment "historic".
"The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control," he said, adding that "using this vaccine in addition to existing tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of lives young people every year".
In turn, Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, also mentioned in the note, indicated that an effective vaccine had been expected for a long time.
"We have long been waiting for an effective vaccine against malaria and now, for the first time, we have this vaccine recommended for widespread use. Today's recommendation offers a glimmer of hope for the continent bearing the heaviest burden of the disease and we hope that many more African children are protected from malaria and become healthy adults," he said.
In reaction to the WHO announcement, the angolan physician Jeremias Agostinho admitted that this historic step translates into a victory for the world of medicine.
"We ended up living through a historic moment in the fight against malaria, which continues to be the main cause of mortality, especially here in African countries," said the doctor, speaking to Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA).
Jeremias Agostinho also suggested that African countries implement the vaccine quickly: "The challenge is thus launched for African countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa, to quickly implement the use of this vaccine in their national vaccination programs so that thousands of deaths that occur every year from malaria".
