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Cameroon has become the first country to implement a routine vaccine program against malaria, which is expected to save numerous lives across Africa. The inaugural dose was given to a baby girl named Daniella at a health facility near Yaoundé. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 600,000 people in Africa die from malaria each year, with children under five accounting for 80% of the fatalities. Cameroon is providing the RTS,S vaccine free of charge to all infants up to six months old. A total of four doses are required for patients. Research conducted by US scientists indicates that the vaccine is effective in at least 36% of cases, potentially saving more than one in three lives. However, Willis Akhwele from the End Malaria Council Kenya cautions that the vaccine's relatively low efficacy rate means it is not a complete solution. Nonetheless, Cameroonian doctor Shalom Ndoula, who played a key role in the vaccine rollout, describes it as an important additional tool in the fight against malaria. He believes that it has the potential to significantly reduce the number of cases and deaths from the disease and hasten its elimination. The RTS,S vaccine was developed by British drug manufacturer GSK after 30 years of research. Its launch in Cameroon was hailed by the WHO as a historic moment in the global battle against malaria. The vaccine program was preceded by successful pilot campaigns in Kenya, Ghana, and Malawi. This year, 20 other countries, including Burkina Faso, Liberia, Niger, and Sierra Leone, intend to implement the program, according to the global vaccine alliance Gavi. Cameroon records approximately six million malaria cases annually, with 4,000 deaths in healthcare facilities, the majority of which are children under the age of five. In the 42 districts with the highest rates of illness and mortality, children up to the age of two will receive four doses of the vaccine. In 2021, Africa accounted for 95% of global malaria cases and around 96% of related deaths.