-Tolu André
The Federal Government of Nigeria today launched the first phase of malaria vaccination in Kebbi and Bayelsa States, marking a significant milestone in the country’s fight against one of its deadliest diseases.
Speaking on the rollout, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) announced that the malaria vaccine will now be part of the National Immunization Schedule. This initiative aims to protect millions of children, bringing Nigeria closer to a malaria-free future.
“The introduction will be expanded to other states and integrated into our national routine immunization schedule as we receive additional doses,” said Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director of the NPHCDA. “Children aged five to 15 months will receive the vaccine as part of routine immunization.
The second phase will cover 19 states and the FCT in 2025, followed by the remaining 15 states in the third phase.”
Earlier in October, Nigeria received one million doses of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, donated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, with support from UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Walter Mulombo, WHO Representative in Nigeria, emphasized the significance of the initiative.
“We are confident that this vaccine, in combination with other preventive measures, will drastically reduce the burden of malaria in Nigeria and help us move closer to achieving the goal of a malaria-free Africa,” he said.
The rollout in Kebbi targets 595,000 children in its first phase, according to Junaidu Haliru Gwandu, Director of Immunization and Disease Control for the Kebbi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
Developed by scientists at Oxford University and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India in collaboration with Novavax, the R21 vaccine positions Nigeria as one of the first countries to adopt the breakthrough malaria prevention method.
Malaria continues to pose a severe public health challenge in Nigeria, accounting for 27% of the global malaria burden and 31% of malaria deaths worldwide. The disease claims the lives of hundreds of thousands of children under five annually in Nigeria.
“This is a historic step forward,” Dr. Aina remarked. “By incorporating the malaria vaccine into our immunization program, we are giving our children a chance to grow up healthy and strong, free from the devastating effects of this disease.”
The initiative is expected to significantly reduce malaria deaths among children and pave the way for further interventions nationwide.
