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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 4 OctOber 2023

UN authorizes a second malaria vaccine. Experts warn it's not

enough to stop the disease spreading

By Maria Cheng In a separate decision,
Associated Press WHO's expert group also
LONDON (AP) — The World authorized the dengue
Health Organization au- vaccine made by Takeda,
thorized a second malaria which was previously ap-
vaccine on Monday, a proved by the European
decision that could offer Union drug regulator.
countries a cheaper and There is no specific treat-
a more readily available ment for dengue, common
option than the world's first in tropical Latin American
shot against the parasitic and Asian countries. While
disease. most infections are mild, se-
WHO Director-General vere cases of the mosquito-
Tedros Adhanom Ghe- spread disease can lead to
breyesus said the U.N. internal bleeding, organ
health agency was ap- damage and death.
proving the new malaria WHO's expert groups ad-
vaccine based on the ad- vised that the Takeda
vice of two expert groups, dengue vaccine be used
recommending its use in in children aged 6 to 16 in
children at risk of the dis- countries with a high prev-
ease. alence of the disease.
Oxford University devel- Previous studies have
oped the new three-dose A baby from the Malawi village of Tomali is injected with the world's first vaccine against malaria showed Takeda’s vaccine
vaccine with help from the in a pilot program, on Dec. 11, 2019. was about 84% effective
Serum Institute of India. Re- (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File) in preventing people from
search suggests it is more Burkina Faso approved the Africa, home to most of laria vaccines stop trans- being hospitalized with
than 75% effective and that vaccine. Johnson was not the world’s estimated 200 mission so immunization dengue and about 61% ef-
protection is maintained for part of the WHO expert million cases and 400,000 campaigns alone won’t be fective in stopping symp-
at least another year with group that gave the Oxford deaths. enough to stop epidemics. toms four years after get-
a booster. Tedros said the vaccine the green light. If the new vaccine is rolled Efforts to curb the disease ting immunized.
shot would cost about $2 to In 2021, WHO endorsed out widely across Africa, it are also being complicat- Nearly 1,000 people have
$4 and could be available the first malaria vaccine in could dramatically reduce ed by increasing reports been killed by dengue this
in some countries next year what it described as a “his- the amount of severe illness of resistance to the main year in an ongoing epi-
if funders agree to buy it. toric” effort to end the dev- and deaths caused by ma- drugs used to treat malaria demic in Bangladesh, the
Earlier this year, regulatory astating toll the mosquito- laria in a few years, Craig and the spread of invasive country's worst outbreak of
authorities in Ghana and transmitted disease has on said. Neither of the ma- mosquito species. the disease.q

Tunisia rejects European funds and says they fall short of a deal for

migration and financial aid

year to help Tunisia patrol It will likely amplify worries situation of misunderstand-
its borders, curb smuggling about the country's spiral- ing,” he said Tuesday on
and balance its federal ing financial woes among Mosaique FM, a Tunisian ra-
budget. Though he called credit rating agencies, dio station. “This process is
the disbursement “a small lenders, Tunisian govern- not behind schedule.” The
amount,” Saied said the ment workers and people July agreement included a
decision was less about its reliant on state subsidies for pledge of 105 million euros
size and more about how it food and energy. Marcus ($110 million) earmarked
“lacks respect." Cornaro, the EU's ambassa- for migration. Tunisia has
“The treasures of the world dor to Tunisia, brushed off emerged as one of this
are not equal to a single concerns about the agree- year's primary launching
grain of our sovereignty in ment’s durability, noting points for migrants and
the eyes of our people,” that rather than confronta- refugees — including many
Saied said in a statement tion, Saied's remarks dem- escaping war and poverty
published on TAP, the coun- onstrated that both sides — seeking to reach Europe.
Tunisia's President Kais Saied speaks during a media conference try's official news agency. were eager to implement More than 90,000 people
at an EU Africa summit in Brussels, Feb. 18, 2022. “Tunisia, which accepts it. Saied's statement that have crossed the Mediter-
(Johanna Geron, Pool Photo via AP, File) cooperation, does not ac- Europe's plan for the initial ranean so far from Tunisia
By B. Bouazza and S. Metz nean Sea as migrant boat cept anything that resem- installment contradicted to Italy so far this year, ac-
Associated Press crossings spike to levels not bles charity or handouts.” the agreement “speaks to cording to figures from UN-
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia seen in several years. The rejection calls into Tunisia's impatience and HCR updated on Monday.
on Monday announced it President Kais Saied on question a broad agree- desire to speed up imple- The majority have done so
would reject an installment Monday accused the Eu- ment that the EU and Saied mentation," he said, add- via iron boats to Lampedu-
of funds sent by Europe to ropean Union of not fol- brokered in Rome in July to ing that Europe was also sa, a small island closer to
help the debt-ridden coun- lowing through on agree- provide more than 1 billion impatient to deepen its ties North Africa than the Italian
try patrol the Mediterra- ments made earlier this euros ($1.1 billion) to Tunisia. with Tunisia. “We're not in a mainland.q