Vaccine for Malaria

Malaria Vaccines Saving Lives in Africa: Ghana Leads the Way

Since 2019, Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi have been at the forefront of rolling out malaria vaccines, with over 2.5 million children already receiving at least one dose of the life-saving vaccine. This initiative is crucial in protecting children from deadly malaria, a disease that continues to pose a significant threat in Africa.

In 2024, more than 20 countries in Africa are set to introduce the vaccine into routine immunization, with Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone already leading the way. The scale-up of malaria vaccines in Africa is expected to increase access to malaria prevention and save tens of thousands of young lives every year.

To support the wider introduction and rollout of the malaria vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO), PATH, and other partners recently convened stakeholders from Nigeria, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, and Liberia in Accra, Ghana. Participants learned from Ghana’s successful malaria vaccination experience and gained insights into vaccine introduction, risk communication, readiness monitoring, supervision, and data management.

Dr. Frank Lule, the Officer-In-Charge of WHO Ghana, emphasized the importance of sharing experiences and lessons to ensure successful vaccine introduction and rollout in countries that are yet to do so. Participants, including representatives from ministries of health, WHO, and UNICEF, also visited malaria vaccination centers in Ghana to gain firsthand experience.

The WHO Regional Office for Africa established the Accelerating Malaria Vaccine Introduction and Rollout in Africa (AMVIRA) initiative in January 2024 to strengthen malaria control efforts. Through workshops and peer learning sessions, countries are enhancing their capacity to effectively introduce and rollout malaria vaccines.

The knowledge gained from these workshops will help shape strategies towards effective malaria vaccine rollout in participating countries. Dr. Yao Kossia from Côte d’Ivoire highlighted the importance of effective coordination and collaboration, while Dr. Garba Ahmed-Rufai from Nigeria emphasized the need for programming and adjusting strategies based on lessons learned from other countries.

With experts deployed to assist countries in planning and delivering vaccines, the AMVIRA initiative is paving the way for successful malaria vaccine introductions across Africa. Similar workshops are planned in other countries, with the goal of saving more lives and reducing the burden of malaria on the continent.