Nigeria is set to receive its first batch of malaria vaccines on Thursday, marking a pivotal step in combating one of the country’s most lethal diseases.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) confirmed that the vaccines will arrive in Abuja, where they will be officially received by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate.
The delivery is part of a World Health Organization’s (WHO) initiative aimed at supplying malaria vaccines to high-burden African countries.
As one of the hardest-hit nations, Nigeria is expected to benefit significantly from this introduction, with the initial rollout focusing on vulnerable regions.
“We’ve secured some doses of this malaria vaccine which will be deployed to Bayelsa and Kebbi states so that we see how the rollout goes, and then in parallel, identify where the money is going to come from,” Pate explained.
The vaccines include RTS,S/AS01, known as Mosquirix, and the newly approved R21/Matrix-M, which has shown a promising 77% efficacy in initial trials.
The pilot phase in Bayelsa and Kebbi will enable health authorities to assess the effectiveness of the deployment strategy, which will then expand to other high-burden areas nationwide.
Malaria remains a critical public health issue in Nigeria, with the disease affecting 97% of the population.
The country bears the highest global burden, accounting for 27% of all malaria cases and 31% of malaria deaths worldwide.
Malaria is transmitted year-round in the southern regions and for up to three months in the north, primarily by Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes.
The government has outlined a distribution strategy prioritising rural regions with limited access to healthcare.
The introduction of the vaccine is expected to reduce malaria cases and deaths, particularly among children. “Some doses of the R21 vaccine have been secured and will be deployed in Bayelsa and Kebbi states as part of a pilot rollout,” Pate confirmed, underscoring the significance of the new vaccine in Nigeria’s battle against malaria.
The cost of covering the targeted population is estimated at $250 million, which will require further funding as the programme expands. The NPHCDA noted that efforts will continue to raise the necessary funds and to evaluate the rollout’s success before nationwide implementation.
Malaria prevalence in Nigeria has decreased from 42% among children under five in 2010 to 23% in 2018, yet substantial disparities persist.
Rural areas experience higher prevalence rates at 31%, compared to 13% in urban regions. In response, the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) has launched initiatives like the High Burden High Impact (HBHI) approach, aiming to lower malaria prevalence below 10% and reduce mortality to fewer than 50 deaths per 1,000 people by 2025.
Despite these advancements, challenges such as low antenatal care attendance and limited access to treatment persist.
However, public health experts expressed optimism, that with the introduction of these vaccines and ongoing preventive measures, Nigeria could significantly reduce its malaria burden, moving closer to the vision of a malaria-free Africa.
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