Ghana has become the first country to approve a new malaria vaccine, known as R21, which has been hailed as a "world-changer" by the scientists who developed it. The vaccine has shown unprecedented effectiveness in preliminary studies, with up to 80% efficacy when administered as three initial doses followed by a booster a year later.

The final trial data on the vaccine's safety and effectiveness, which has not yet been made public, was assessed by Ghana's drug regulators who have given their approval for its use. The World Health Organization is also considering approving the vaccine.

Malaria is a deadly disease that claims the lives of about 620,000 people each year, with young children being particularly vulnerable. The development of a vaccine that provides protection against the malaria parasite has been a monumental scientific effort spanning over a century.

Preliminary studies conducted in Burkina Faso showed promising results for the R21 vaccine, and the larger trial involving nearly 5,000 children was expected to confirm these findings. While the final data from this trial has not yet been formally published, it has been shared with some government bodies in Africa and scientists, and reportedly shows a similar picture to the earlier studies.

Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority, after reviewing the data, has approved the use of the R21 vaccine in children aged between five months to three years old. Other African countries are also reviewing the data, and the World Health Organization is closely monitoring the situation.

The Serum Institute of India, a major vaccine producer, is gearing up to manufacture between 100-200 million doses of R21 annually, with a vaccine factory being constructed in Accra, Ghana. The cost of each dose is expected to be a few dollars, making it an affordable option for countries with high malaria burdens.

Prof Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, where the vaccine was developed, believes that R21 will have a significant impact on malaria mortality in children in the coming years and contribute to the long-term goal of malaria eradication and elimination. He also noted that African countries are taking charge of their own vaccination efforts, after being left behind in the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines during the pandemic.

Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute, described Ghana's approval of the vaccine as a "significant milestone" in global efforts to combat malaria. Developing an effective malaria vaccine has been an arduous task, but the approval of R21 offers renewed hope in the fight against this deadly disease.