To the Editor:Re “Lives at Risk” (Science Times, July 23):The New York Times spotlights malaria, which kills nearly half a million African children annually, and the important role malaria vaccines are playing in reducing child deaths.
The malaria vaccine pilots, for which the World Health Organization provided scientific and technical leadership, demonstrate the critical role W.H.O.
advanced the first malaria vaccine (RTS,S) at the request of member states, even as global health partners focused their attention on other agendas.
The pilots provided assurance that the vaccine is safe and highly effective — reducing child deaths by 13 percent.
In some areas, combining the vaccine, insecticide-treated nets and chemoprevention can reduce malaria by more than 90 percent.
Persons:
doesn’t
Organizations:
Science Times, New York Times, World Health Organization