Kenya sees 'triple tragedy' of virus, malaria, HIV

The Kenyan fishing town of Homa Bay is facing a "triple tragedy" of malaria, HIV and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to a doctor who spoke to British broadcaster Sky News.

Homa Bay's Director of Public Health, Dr. Gordon Okomo, said the mix was "crazy" and "taking its toll on the health systems."

The town on the shores of Lake Victoria has one of the highest rates of HIV anywhere in Kenya, as well as more malaria cases than almost anywhere in the country, according to Sky.

Okomo is hopeful the world’s first malaria vaccine endorsed by the World Health Organization will help reduce the number of concurrent health emergencies.

African health officials say the new malaria vaccine is “a game-changer” in combating the disease which accounts for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year across the continent.

The WHO endorsed the vaccine on Wednesday based largely on clinical trials carried out in three African countries - Ghana, Kenya and Malawi - where more than 800,000 children have received the vaccine since 2019.

The news has been received with excitement in Africa which accounted for 94% of the world's malaria cases in 2019 with an estimated 215 million cases, according to the WHO World Malaria Report 2020.

Malaria killed 386,000 people in the continent in 2019, more than 90% of the global toll, with six African countries accounting for more than half of the malaria deaths across the world, according to the WHO report.

The Mosquirix malaria vaccine, which GlaxoSmithKline has been working on since 1987, has limited efficacy of about 30% in preventing severe malaria and comes after decades of unsuccessful attempts to find protection against malaria.

It offers some hope to children in African countries where there is limited access to bed nets and other preventive measures.

The Kenya Medical Research Institute, which has helped to evaluate the vaccine, said in a statement it is “delighted” with the WHO’s endorsement.