Cameroon’s Health Minister, Dr. Manaouda Malachie, wants people to believe in the government’s health plan, even though many are unsure about the new malaria vaccines that recently arrived in the country.
He explained on Wednesday how the RTS,S vaccine can help fight malaria, and he praised the positive results from testing it in Kenya, Ghana, and Malawi.
Dr. Malachie said, “Because of the good results, using this vaccine could help protect all young children and, depending on how many children get it, prevent about 2,000 deaths each year for kids under five.”
The World Health Organization says that RTS,S can “stop about 75% of malaria cases.”
Cameroon is the first African country to get the RTS,S vaccines after the testing phase.
But in Cameroon, many people are hesitant about vaccines, and the government hasn’t been able to change their minds about the 330,000 vaccine doses that arrived.
One person told the BBC, “We’re used to malaria because we live in a tropical area. I don’t understand why they want to give vaccines to kids.”
She also said, “I won’t let my kids get the vaccine, not even at school.”
Every year, Cameroon has six million malaria cases and 4,000 deaths in hospitals, according to the WHO. Most of the people who get sick are kids under five.