Thousands of African Children Receive Life-Saving Malaria Vaccine as Rollout Expands

By: Modupe Adeniyi. Freelance Health Reporter

Map showing the 19 African countries that have received rollout of RTS, S malaria vaccine. Click on image to enlarge.

Lagos, Nigeria. February 20, 2024. Nearly 10,000 children in Burkina Faso and Cameroon have received the groundbreaking RTS,S malaria vaccine since it was introduced this year, marking a major milestone in malaria prevention.

The vaccine is now being rolled out more widely across 19 countries in Africa, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda and South Sudan. 

Cameroon became the first country beyond the initial pilot program to integrate it into routine childhood immunization. Over 500 health facilities across Cameroon are now offering the vaccine, just weeks after the country launched the program on January 22, 2024.  

Burkina Faso also recently kickstarted its own immunization campaign on February 5, giving more children access to this lifesaving preventative measure.

According to Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, the vaccine rollout represents a significant advance in the fight against malaria, one of the biggest health threats facing African children today. She reaffirmed WHO's commitment to supporting widespread vaccination among vulnerable populations.

The Africa-wide initiative, called AMVIRA, aims to provide robust technical guidance and coordination support to ensure smooth, effective introductions. WHO has already deployed dozens of medical experts across 10 regions in Cameroon and Burkina Faso. 

While preventing an estimated 40% of malaria cases, the vaccine is not meant to replace other protective measures. Rather, it will complement bed nets, insecticides, and other malaria control efforts targeting a disease that claimed over 600,000 lives in 2022, most of them children under 5.

As more countries prepare to launch their own vaccination programs, WHO emphasizes the need for community outreach and education to drive uptake. Meanwhile, experts will closely track rollout data to identify any challenges requiring timely intervention.

With malaria's catastrophic toll on the continent, the vaccine brings new optimism and a reminder that every child's life is worth protecting.

Related: Childhood vaccine and routine immunization in Nigeria

Published: February 20, 2024

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