Nigeria will take delivery of its first shipment of the long-awaited malaria vaccines on Thursday, marking a critical advancement in the fight against the nation’s deadliest disease.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has confirmed that the vaccines will arrive in Abuja, where Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, will oversee their reception.
This development is part of a World Health Organisation (WHO) initiative aimed at providing malaria vaccines to high-burden African countries, including Nigeria.
The malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix), has shown promising results in reducing both cases and deaths among young children in large clinical trials across Africa. Nigeria will become the third African country to roll out the vaccine, following Ghana and Kenya, which introduced it in 2023.
The NPHCDA disclosed that the vaccines would be officially launched on Thursday, with the initial focus on high-burden regions, particularly in rural areas with limited access to healthcare. A national rollout is expected to follow as part of a strategic plan to combat malaria in vulnerable communities.
Malaria continues to pose a significant health challenge in Nigeria, affecting 97% of the population and accounting for 27% of global cases and 31% of malaria-related deaths. Despite a reduction in prevalence among children under five from 42% in 2010 to 23% in 2018, malaria remains a serious issue, particularly in rural areas where the burden is higher.
Public health experts are optimistic that the introduction of the vaccine, combined with existing preventive measures, will drastically reduce the malaria burden in Nigeria and move the country closer to the goal of a malaria-free Africa.
