Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: TH
Context: The Serum Institute of India (SII) has begun exporting the ‘R21/Matrix-M’ malaria vaccine to Africa, targeting children in malaria-endemic regions.
- Developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford and Novavax’s Matrix-M adjuvant.
- It is the second malaria vaccine recommended by WHO in 2023, after RTS, S/AS01 vaccine.
About Malaria:
- Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
- It is preventable and curable, but it remains a major public health problem, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions.
