Benin Republic receives initial shipment of malaria vaccines

Benin Republic has received its first doses of a vaccine for malaria. The government officially received 215,900 doses of the RTS,S vaccine, which will immunize around 200,000 children under the age of two.

Malaria remains endemic in Benin and is the leading cause of death among children under five in the country.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 40% of outpatient consultations and 25% of hospital admissions in Benin are linked to malaria.

The first vaccinations will take place within a few months.

Twelve countries across Africa are set to receive 18 million doses of the malaria vaccine over the next two years.