Nigeria takes delivery of Gavi’s one million malaria vaccine doses

The Federal Government has taken delivery of one million doses of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine donated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

The hand-over ceremony took place on Thursday in Abuja.

The World Health Organisation had in December 2023 added R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine to its list of prequalified vaccines.

In October 2023, WHO recommended its use for the prevention of malaria in children following the advice of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group.

The prequalification means larger access to vaccines as a key tool to prevent malaria in children with it being a prerequisite for vaccine procurement by UNICEF and funding support for deployment by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

The R21 vaccine is the second malaria vaccine prequalified by WHO, following the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine which obtained prequalification status in July 2022. Both vaccines are shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials, for preventing malaria in children.

Speaking during the hand-over ceremony in Abuja, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina, said the arrival of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine from Gavi is a testament to President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to protecting the lives of Nigerians.

Aina 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.”

He noted that the first phase of the vaccination will commence in Kebbi and Bayelsa in November.

He 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.”