Three African countries, Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, launched a large-scale rollout of the life-saving malaria vaccine on Thursday, targeting millions of children across the three West African nations.
The vaccine rollout, a significant step forward for malaria prevention in Africa, brings to eight the number of countries on the continent to offer the malaria vaccine as part of the childhood immunisation programmes, extending access to more comprehensive malaria prevention.
The vaccine rollout, announced on World Malaria Day, seeks to further scale up vaccine deployment in the African region.
Benin, which received 215,900 doses, has added the malaria vaccine to its Expanded Programme on Immunization. The malaria vaccine should be provided in a schedule of four doses to children from around 5 months of age.
In Liberia, the vaccine was launched in southern Rivercess County and will be rolled out afterward in five other counties that have a high malaria burden. At least 45,000 children are expected to benefit from the 112,000 doses of the available vaccine.
In Sierra Leone, the first doses were administered to children at a health centre in Western Area Rural, where the authorities kicked off the rollout of 550,000 vaccine doses. The vaccine will then be delivered to health facilities nationwide.
Minister of Health of Benin, Professor Benjamin Hounkpatin, said in a remark that the introduction of the malaria vaccine in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation for our children is a major step forward in the fight against this scourge.
He stated, “I would like to reassure you that the malaria vaccines are safe and effective and contribute to the protection of our children against these serious and fatal diseases.”
Liberia’s Minister of Health, Dr Louise Kpoto, said for far too long, malaria has stolen the laughter and dreams of our children, but that the launched vaccine and the unwavering commitment of communities, healthcare workers, and partners, including GAVI, UNICEF, and WHO, will help put a stop to this chain.
He added, “We have a powerful tool that will protect them from this devastating illness and related deaths, ensuring their right to health and a brighter future. Let’s end malaria in Liberia and pave the way for a healthier, more just society.”
In a remark, Minister of Health of Sierra Leone Dr Austin Demby said, “In combination with insecticide-treated nets, effective diagnosis and treatment, and indoor spraying, no child should die from malaria infection.”
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, declared that the rollout of the malaria vaccine is a game-changer in our fight against this deadly disease, and WHO is providing continual support for this effort to save the lives of young children and lower the malaria burden in the region.
Malaria remains a huge health challenge in the African region, which is home to 11 countries that carry approximately 70% of the global burden of malaria. The region accounted for 94% of global malaria cases and 95% of all malaria deaths in 2022, according to the World Malaria Report 2023.
Several of the more than 30 countries in the African region that have expressed interest in the vaccine are scheduled to roll it out in the next year through support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as efforts continue to widen its deployment in the region in coordination with other prevention measures such as long-lasting insecticidal nets and seasonal malaria chemoprevention.
