A potentially game-changing malaria vaccine has been approved by health authorities in Ghana following a successful trial in Burkina Faso.
The R21 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford proved 80 per cent effective when administered in three doses to 409 children aged between five months and 17 months, followed by a booster.
Although results from a larger trial of 4,800 children showed similar success, complete data sets have only been shared with select African governments, including Ghana.
Results from the wider study, which is not yet public, prompted officials at Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority to push ahead with vaccine approvals for children aged between five months and three years.
Other African nations and the World Health Organisation are also considering the vaccine for approval.
Speaking in September, Malaria Consortium technical director Dr James Tibenderana, said he hoped the encouraging results from the Burkino Faso study would lead to further research.
“I hope these results motivate increased and sustained investments in research and development for malaria vaccines, and their equitable access, because they prevent malaria infections and save lives,” he said.
The malaria parasite, delivered by a bite from a female Anopheles mosquito, kills around 620,000 people a year, with young children under five most vulnerable.
Malaria is endemic across Ghana, with the entire population at risk.
Cases of malaria have been steadily declining in Ghana, down from 13.4 million in 2017 to 5.8 million in 2021.
According to the WHO, there were an estimated 12,500 deaths from malaria in 2021.
Batches of the R21 vaccine will be produced at the Serum Institute of India, where there is capacity to manufacture up to 200 million doses a year.
A further production site is planned for Ghana capital Accra, with vaccine doses expected to cost about $2 each.
In 2021, the WHO made a landmark decision to recommend the first malaria vaccine in children across sub-Saharan Africa.
It followed a large, WHO-backed pilot project where more than 800,000 children received at least one dose of the RTS, S/AS01 malaria vaccine, called Mosquirix, developed by British company GSK.
In total, 2.3 million doses of Mosquirix were administered to children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi.
GSK has committed to produce 15 million doses of Mosquirix a year until 2028.
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Uefa Champions League Group F
Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit
As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
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- Option 2: 50% across three years
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