Ghana to pilot world's first malaria vaccine
Three African countries will soon start rolling out the world's first malaria vaccine.
Last year, more than 200 million people around the world were affected by the disease.
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Most of those cases were reported in Africa.
Ghana, Kenya and Malawi will be among the first nations to try out the vaccine.
Malaria was found to be the topmost killer in Ghana according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based in Atlanta, USA.
Thirteen percent of deaths recorded in Ghana in 2010 were caused by malaria the highest among the ten other causes named.
Every 60 seconds a child dies from malaria in Africa, and despite the fact that infectious disease is the biggest threat to the continent, the spotlight remains focused elsewhere.
Africa, with all the issues its 54 countries face, understands the urgent need to tackle killer diseases. Stemming the flow of HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria - while adequately treating existing cases - continues to be a challenge.
African governments and international efforts have made great strides in combatting the scourge of disease on the continent.
Al Jazeera's Fahmida Miller reports from Kenya's Kisumu county.
