12 million doses of life-saving malaria vaccine have been distributed across 17 endemic countries, as part of the Gavi vaccination program. This initiative has successfully protected an estimated 5 million children, representing 70% of the world’s malaria burden. The program’s reach is vital in the fight against malaria, which remains one of the deadliest diseases globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
This malaria vaccine initiative builds on the successful pilot program run in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi from 2019 to 2023. The pilot, coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and funded by Gavi and other partners, provided crucial insights into the vaccine’s efficacy. The program showed a promising 13% reduction in child mortality and a substantial decrease in malaria-related hospitalizations. By protecting millions of children, the pilot demonstrated that the malaria vaccine is a powerful tool in reducing the global burden of the disease.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is a public-private partnership that has helped vaccinate over half of the world’s children against deadly diseases. With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO, UNICEF, and various other partners, Gavi has contributed to immunizing more than 1.1 billion children and preventing over 18.8 million deaths since its inception in 2000.
Cameroon became the first country to integrate the malaria vaccine into its routine immunization program, covering 42 districts from January 2024. The country plans to expand the rollout to all 205 districts by 2026, aiming to protect millions more children. Malaria remains a critical health challenge in countries like Cameroon, where the disease claims more than 13,000 lives annually and accounts for 30% of all hospital visits.
As part of Gavi’s ongoing efforts, 17 countries began administering the malaria vaccine in 2024. These countries include Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Benin, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, South Sudan, Mozambique, Central African Republic, Niger, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Nigeria.
The World Malaria Report 2024 revealed that the global malaria incidence reached 263 million cases in 2023, with the WHO African Region bearing the heaviest burden. The rise in malaria cases highlights the need for continued efforts to combat the disease. With countries like Cameroon leading the charge, Gavi’s malaria vaccine initiative holds the potential to transform the health outcomes of millions, alleviating the tremendous pressure malaria places on families, communities, and healthcare systems. By the end of this decade, the program aims to protect millions more children, offering hope in the fight against one of the world’s most persistent health threats.
