Shipments to African countries herald final steps toward broader vaccination against malaria: Gavi, WHO and UNICEF
- More than 330 000 doses of WHO-recommended RTS,S malaria vaccine arrived last night in Cameroon – a historic step towards broader vaccination against one of the deadliest diseases for African children
- Malaria burden is the highest on the African continent, which accounted for approximately 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of related deaths in 2021
- With several African countries now finalizing roll-out plans, an additional 1.7 million doses are set for delivery to Burkina Faso, Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone in the coming weeks
- These shipments signal that malaria vaccination is moving out of its pilot phase, and lay the groundwork for countries to begin vaccinations through Gavi-supported routine immunization programmes in Q1 2024
Shipments of the world’s first WHO-recommended malaria vaccine, RTS,S, have begun with 331 200 doses landing last night in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The delivery is the first to a country not previously involved in the malaria vaccine pilot programme and signals that scale-up of vaccination against malaria across the highest-risk areas on the African continent will begin shortly.
MVIP is coordinated by WHO in collaboration with PATH, UNICEF and other partners, and funded by Gavi, the Global Fund, and UNITAID, with donated doses from GSK, the manufacturer of the RTS,S vaccine.
WHO recommendation of a second malaria vaccine
"The arrival of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine in Burkina Faso marks a historic milestone in our efforts to combat malaria, which remains a major public health threat. Malaria is in fact the primary cause for consultations, hospitalization and death in our health facilities. Children under 5 pay the heaviest price. We are hopeful that the introduction of this vaccine into routine immunisation for children aged 0 to 23 months will have the potential to reduce the burden of this disease and save many lives," said Dr Robert Lucien Jean-Claude Kargougou, Burkina Faso's Minister of Health and Public Hygiene.
"We are committed to ensuring that the vaccine reaches eligible children, and we encourage all parents to take advantage of this life-saving intervention." "The government remains committed to strengthening other malaria prevention and control measures". “The arrival of the vaccines marks a historic step in our efforts to control malaria, which remains a major public health threat in the country. We’re grateful for the support of our partners with whom we’re committed to working to ensure that the vaccines reach the children and protect them from this deadly disease,” said Hon Dr Malachie Manaouda, Minister of Public Health of Cameroon. “As we vaccinate children, the government also remains committed to strengthening other prevention and control measures so that we can lower the huge burden of malaria.”
"The introduction of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine in Liberia marks a significant milestone in our efforts to combat malaria which is the leading cause of infant and under five mortality. This vaccine has the potential to save many lives and reduce the burden of this disease on our population,” said Hon Dr Wilhemina Jallah, Minister of Health of Liberia. “We are committed to ensuring that the vaccine reaches those who need it the most, and we encourage all parents of eligible children to take advantage of this life-saving intervention."
“As the scale up of the world’s first malaria vaccine begins, the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative congratulates the Gavi Secretariat and Ministries of Health throughout Africa,” said Dr David Walton, U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator. “This moment has been decades in the making and the U.S. has supported malaria vaccine development for decades. To maximize the benefit of this lifesaving tool, we will enthusiastically continue our partnerships with Ministries of Health and national, regional, and global partners to achieve a world in which no child dies from a mosquito bite.”
Notes to editors
Please explore links below for photos and multimedia content related to malaria vaccines, including photos and footage of the vaccines on the move from the GSK factory, and arriving in Cameroon. Additional content will continue to be added in the coming days and weeks.
- Gavi https://media.gavi.org/?c=1923733&k=9e5596b28b
- UNICEF https://weshare.unicef.org/Package/2AM408LMATVA
- WHO photos https://photos.hq.who.int/galleries/1596/rtsss-vaccines-for-press-release and video https://we.tl/t-K5IOxBgv6m
For further information about these shipments, please see “Frequently Asked Questions".
the Vaccine Alliance
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organisations that fund Gavi’s work here.
Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a whole generation – over 1 billion children – and prevented more than 17.3 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 78 lower-income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems and outbreak response as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology – from drones to biometrics – to save lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency.
Learn more at www.gavi.org
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org. Find out more about UNICEF’s work on the COVID-19 vaccines here, or about UNICEF’s work on immunization here.