The United Kingdom will disburse 7.4 million pounds sterling (9.2 million dollars) to improve access to medicines and tests, and thus contribute to the fight against malaria in sub-Saharan African countries, including Mozambique.
According to a publication by the Agência de Informação de Moçambique (AIM), the support will be channelled through MedAccess, which will be responsible for negotiating the lowest prices for vital malaria medicines and diagnostic tests for people living in the countries most affected by the disease.
The British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Development for Africa, Andrew Mitchell, explained the importance of making sure that medicines are being made available at the best price and in an accessible way for all countries, especially those most in need.
He said that deaths from malaria are entirely preventable, and that the UK’s support will ensure that the best protection against the epidemic is provided.
“Sierra Leone, Liberia and Benin will begin the process of distributing the vaccine developed by the UK and India. Collaboration between scientists from these two countries has resulted in the development of the RTS,S and R21 vaccines, which have already been used in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, with two million children having been vaccinated since 2019,” he argued.
Data indicates that more than six million children in various countries, especially Mozambique, could be vaccinated against malaria by the end of 2025 through the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisation (GAVI).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers malaria to be the third leading cause of death among children under 5, with nine out of ten cases occurring in Africa.
What is MedAccess?
MedAccess is an organisation founded by British International Investment (BII), a UK development finance institution, and is committed to improving health in low- and middle-income countries.
The organisation helps to make vaccines, diagnostics, treatments and other health technologies more accessible and available to people in low- and middle-income countries.
To date, the agreements have enabled medical innovations to reach 530 million people in more than 95 countries.
By guaranteeing lower prices for products, MedAccess helps buyers save money, which can be used to meet other urgent health needs.
