ABIDJAN, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The government of Cote d'Ivoire has decided to introduce an anti-malaria vaccine into its expanded immunization program, with the aim of eradicating malaria by 2030.

The first dose of the vaccine was administered Monday to a six-month-old child in Abobo, a popular commune of Abidjan, the economic hub of the country, during an official ceremony chaired by Prime Minister Robert Beugre Mambe.

"The introduction of the malaria vaccine represents a major step forward in our fight, as malaria remains a major public health problem, particularly among children under the age of five," said Health Minister Pierre Dimba.

In Cote d'Ivoire, though malaria-related mortality has more than halved, from 3,222 deaths in 2017 to 1,485 deaths in 2023, more than 1,000 children under five still die of malaria each year.

Malaria remains the primary reason for hospital visits in Cote d'Ivoire, where in 2023, 33 out of 100 people consulting doctors were for malaria.

The government sees the deployment of the malaria vaccine as a "decisive turning point" in achieving the objective of eradicating the disease by 2030.

The vaccine is expected to be administered initially to 250,000 children aged six to 23 months in around 40 health districts in 16 regions. Vaccination will then extend to the 75 other districts by the end of the year.

The vaccination schedule provides for four doses -- at six months, eight months, nine months and 15 months.

Malaria vaccination is free in all public health facilities, the government said.

"The vaccine is safe and effective," Dimba, the health minister, said, noting that it has already been used in other African countries, such as Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Sierra Leone. Enditem

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