WHO moves to roll out first malaria vaccine in Africa

By MARIA CHENG and GREGORY GONDWE
Associated Press

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — As the World Health Organization announces the next step in its rollout of the world’s first authorized malaria vaccine in three African countries, concerns about its value have come from an unlikely source: the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, arguably the vaccine’s biggest backer. WHO endorsed the vaccine last fall as a “historic” breakthrough in the fight against malaria, but the Gates Foundation says it will no longer financially support the shot. Some scientists say they’re mystified by that decision, warning it could leave millions of African children at risk of dying from malaria, as well as undermine future efforts to solve intractable problems in public health.