World News in Brief: DPR Korea missile launch condemned, malaria vaccines for Cameroon, solidarity with Haiti

The country, commonly known as North Korea, claimed to have carried out a third attempt to launch a ballistic missile on Tuesday, according to media reports.

Comply with obligations

Any such launch is contrary to relevant Security Council resolutions, Mr. Guterres said in a statement issued later that day by his deputy spokesman Farhan Haq.

The Secretary-General reiterated his call on the DPRK “to fully comply with its international obligations under all relevant Security Council resolutions and to return to dialogue without preconditions to achieve the goal of sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

A young boy tests positive for Malaria in eastern Cameroon. (file)

Cameroon receives WHO-approved malaria vaccine

The arrival in Cameroon of the world’s first malaria vaccine recommended by UN health agency WHO has been hailed as a significant step toward broader vaccination against one of the deadliest diseases for African children.

More than 330,000 doses of the RTS,S vaccine landed in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde, on Tuesday night, as announced by WHO; Gavi, the vaccine alliance, and the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF.

Nearly every minute, a child under five dies of malaria, which is spread by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. There were 247 million cases globally in 2021, and nearly 620,000 deaths, mostly among under-fives in Africa.

“This is another breakthrough moment for malaria vaccines and malaria control, and a ray of light in a dark time for so many vulnerable children in the world,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who called for vaccines to be scaled up.

The RTS,S vaccine has been administered to more than two million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi through a pilot programme that started in 2019.

The delivery to Cameroon is the first to a country not previously involved in the pilot programme, signalling that the scale-up of malaria vaccination across the highest-risk areas in Africa will begin shortly.

UN General Assembly President expresses solidarity with Haiti

The President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis, concluded a two-day official visit to Haiti on Tuesday, where he expressed support and solidarity for its people as the Caribbean country faces multiple challenges.

The security situation in Haiti has deteriorated due to rampant gang violence. Last month, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of an international mission to support the national police.

Kenya has offered to lead the non-UN force, which is also slated to help ensure unhindered and safe access to humanitarian aid for millions in need.

Mr. Francis and his delegation were received in the capital, Port-au-Prince by Prime Minister Ariel Henry and other senior officials.

During his meeting with the Prime Minister, he emphasized that the international community had not forgotten about the country and its citizens.

The Assembly President also met with representatives of political parties, civil society and UN officials, in addition to visiting a primary school.