Late on Monday, officials announced that Benin Republic has taken delivery of its initial supply of a malaria vaccine, marking a significant step in combating the primary cause of infant mortality in the country.

Health Minister Benjamin Hounkpatin addressed reporters at Cotonou airport, where the government officially received 215,900 doses of the RTS, S vaccine, emphasising the endemic nature of malaria and its status as the leading cause of death among children under five in Benin.

The initial round of vaccinations is scheduled to commence "within a few months," as stated by Minister Hounkpatin. Notably, 40 per cent of outpatient consultations and 25 per cent of hospital admissions in Benin are attributed to malaria, underscoring the urgency of addressing the issue.

The RTS S vaccine is set to immunise approximately 200,000 children under two, with each infant receiving four doses at six months, seven months, nine months, and 18 months. Benin joins Cameroon and Sierra Leone as the third African country to receive vaccine doses, following a successful pilot phase in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and funded by entities like the GAVI Vaccine Alliance.

UNICEF's immunisation specialist in Benin, Benin Faustin Yao, highlighted the positive impact of the vaccine, noting that over two million children have already been vaccinated in the initial three African countries. This has led to a "spectacular decline" in mortality rates and a significant reduction in severe malaria cases and hospitalisations, according to GAVI.

Malaria continues to pose a formidable challenge globally, with nearly a child under the age of five succumbing to the disease every minute, according to the WHO. The disease, transmitted by certain types of mosquitoes, recorded 247 million cases and 619,000 deaths worldwide in 2021, predominantly affecting Africa, where 95% of cases and 96% of deaths occur. The increasing resistance to treatment adds to the complexity of combating malaria in the region.