Nigeria has received 846,000 doses of a pioneering malaria vaccine from development partners to help lower the disease’s high prevalence, particularly among children and other vulnerable groups.
Prof. Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, stated during the occasion on Thursday in Abuja that the vaccines are likely to play a critical role in reducing malaria-related deaths.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), extensive clinical trials in Africa have shown that the RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix) vaccine is effective in lowering malaria incidence and mortality among young children.
Nigeria is the third African country to use the vaccine, after Ghana and Kenya, which began in 2023.
Malaria affects 97 percent of the Nigerian population. It is transmitted all year in the south and for up to three months in the north.
Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles gambiae are the principal malaria vectors, with Anopheles funestus playing a supporting role in some regions.
The immunizations come as Nigeria ramps up efforts to prevent malaria-related fatalities under the National Malaria Strategic Plan (NMSP) 2021–2025.
Pate stated that the vaccination would considerably benefit the country’s continuing malaria elimination efforts.
“Our target is to prioritize regions most affected by malaria, particularly in rural areas where access to healthcare is limited,” he said.
He also said the vaccine rollout would begin in high-burden regions before expanding nationwide.
