Nigeria Receives 1 Million Malaria Vaccine Doses from Gavi to Combat Deadly Disease

Nigeria's Malaria Fight Gets 1M Vaccine Boost

“The vaccine will be administered to children aged five months to 15 months as part of routine immunisation...”

Gavi donates 1 million malaria vaccines to Nigeria, strengthening the country's fight against malaria and protecting vulnerable communities.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has supplied Nigeria with one million doses of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine, a significant step in combating malaria in the region. This vaccine has already been administered to over 1.7 million children in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, showing substantial reductions in severe malaria and child deaths.

Malaria Vaccine Allocation

The vaccine allocation was determined based on the Framework for Allocation of Limited Malaria Vaccine Supply, prioritizing areas with the highest malaria risk and need. Nigeria is among 12 African countries receiving a total of 18 million doses of the vaccine from 2023 to 2025.

Impact and Future Plans

The RTS,S/AS01 vaccine has the potential to prevent tens of thousands of deaths annually. With increasing supply, more countries will introduce the vaccine into their routine immunization programs. Gavi is working to increase supply to meet growing demand, estimated at 40-60 million doses by 2026 and 80-100 million doses by 2030.

Nigeria has taken a significant step in combating malaria with the receipt of one million doses of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. This delivery ceremony, held on October 17 in Abuja, marks a crucial moment in the fight against this debilitating disease. 

The R21/Matrix-M vaccine has undergone rigorous testing, demonstrating impressive efficacy rates. In areas with highly seasonal malaria transmission, it has shown a 75% reduction in symptomatic cases among children aged 5-36 months. This vaccine's impact will be substantial, especially considering the World Health Organization's (WHO) recent prequalification in December 2023.

The WHO's recommendation to use this vaccine for preventing malaria in children, based on guidance from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG), underscores its potential. With malaria claiming hundreds of thousands of lives annually, primarily in Africa, this vaccine brings hope to vulnerable communities.

Key Benefits of the R21/Matrix-M Vaccine:

High Efficacy Rates: 75% reduction in symptomatic cases in areas with seasonal transmission.

WHO Prequalification: Ensures the vaccine meets strict safety and efficacy standards.

Targeted Protection: Designed to protect children, who are most susceptible to malaria's devastating effects.

This development is a testament to the power of global partnerships in tackling pressing health challenges. As Nigeria continues to distribute the vaccine, we can anticipate a significant reduction in malaria cases and a brighter future for its citizens.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) prequalification of the R21 malaria vaccine is a significant breakthrough in combating malaria in children. This prequalification enables greater access to vaccines, a crucial tool in preventing malaria, and meets the requirements for vaccine procurement by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and funding for deployment from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

The R21 vaccine is the second malaria vaccine to receive prequalification status from WHO, following the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine, which was prequalified in July 2022. Both vaccines have undergone rigorous clinical trials, demonstrating their safety and efficacy in preventing malaria in children. With this prequalification, more countries can now introduce these vaccines into their national immunization programs, potentially saving tens of thousands of young lives annually.

Benefits of WHO Prequalification:

Increased Access: Enables procurement by UNICEF and funding from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Improved Safety: Ensures vaccine quality and safety standards are met

Enhanced Efficacy: Demonstrated effectiveness in preventing malaria in children

The RTS,S/AS01 vaccine has already shown impressive results, with a 13% drop in mortality among children age-eligible for vaccination and substantial reduction in hospitalizations for severe malaria. With the R21 vaccine now prequalified, the global fight against malaria has gained significant momentum.

President Bola Tinubu's commitment to protecting Nigerians' lives is highlighted by the arrival of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine from Gavi, as stated by Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director and CEO of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), during the handover ceremony in Abuja. This vaccine is a significant step in combating malaria, a major health concern in Nigeria.

In his Independence Day speech, President Tinubu emphasized his administration's focus on improving healthcare and the overall well-being of Nigerians. The vaccine's arrival demonstrates the government's proactive approach to addressing pressing health issues.

The R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine is the second malaria vaccine to be prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO), after the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine, which received prequalification status in July 2022. Both vaccines have shown impressive efficacy rates in clinical trials, providing hope for preventing malaria in children.

He said, “Nigeria is among the top ten contributors to the global burden of malaria, accounting for approximately 27 per cent of the global burden and 31 per cent of malaria deaths worldwide.

“In 2022, nearly 200,000 deaths from malaria occurred in Nigeria.

“Children under five years of age, and pregnant women are the most affected, with a national malaria prevalence rate of 22 per cent in children aged six to 59 months as of 2021.

“The vaccine would quicken our malaria control and elimination efforts, as we expect about 13 per cent reduction in all- cause mortality in children under five and a 22 per cent reduction in hospitalized severe malaria cases.

“WHO recommends prioritisation of the vaccine in areas of high to moderate transmission and this is guiding our phased introduction strategy.”

The initial rollout of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine in Nigeria is set to kick off in November, with Kebbi and Bayelsa being the first two states to receive the vaccine. This marks a significant step in combating malaria in the country, especially considering the World Health Organization's recent prequalification of the vaccine in December 2023. The vaccine has shown impressive efficacy rates in clinical trials, reducing malaria cases by more than half during the first year after vaccination. This development brings hope to vulnerable communities, particularly children, who are most susceptible to malaria's devastating effects.

Aina added, “Kebbi because it has the highest prevalence rate in the country (52 per cent); while Bayelsa is selected because its target population of 69,935, and that of Kebbi's 162,014, aligns with the one million doses available for this phase, thereby ensuring that the vaccine supply is effectively utilised.

“The vaccine will be administered to children aged five months to 15 months as part of routine immunisation.

“Each child requires four doses, given at 5, 6, 7 and 15 months of age, to be fully protected.

“The introduction will be expanded to other states and integrated into our national routine immunisation schedule, as we receive additional doses.

“The second phase will target 19 States and FCT, while the third phase will target the remaining 15 States.

“Both phases are scheduled for 2025.

“To ensure a successful roll-out, we have established an elaborate cross-program coordinating mechanism that brings together key stakeholders and expertise in the malaria and immunisation space at the national and subnational levels.

“The team has developed a robust and responsive demand generation strategy that is citizen-centred and recognizes the needs and expectations of stakeholders at all levels including caregivers, community gatekeepers and front-line health workers.”