Nigeria is set to receive its first consignment of the highly anticipated malaria vaccines on Thursday, marking a significant step in the country’s fight against one of its deadliest diseases.

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency announced that the vaccines would be received in Abuja by health minister Muhammad Ali Pate.

The arrival of the vaccines is an initiative by the World Health Organisation to distribute the vaccines to high-burden countries across Africa, including Nigeria.

The NPHCDA said the country would officially unveil the malaria vaccines on Thursday to help protect children from life-threatening diseases.

The introduction of the malaria vaccine is expected to significantly reduce malaria cases and deaths, especially in vulnerable populations.

The government has developed a strategic distribution plan to prioritise regions most affected by malaria, particularly in rural areas with limited access to healthcare.

The rollout will begin in these high-burden regions before expanding nationwide.

The expected vaccines, known as RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix), have been proven to reduce malaria cases and mortality among young children in large clinical trials across Africa.

Nigeria will be the third African country to introduce the vaccine, following Ghana and Kenya, which began using the vaccine in 2023.

Meanwhile, malaria remains a serious public health issue in Nigeria, affecting 97 per cent of the population.

Nigeria accounts for 27 per cent of global malaria cases and 31 per cent of global malaria deaths, making it the country with the highest malaria burden in the world.

The prevalence of malaria among children under five years dropped from 42 per cent in 2010 to 23 per cent in 2018.

Significant disparities exist between rural (31 per cent) and urban (13 per cent) populations, as well as socioeconomic groups.

The National Malaria Elimination Programme launched the High Burden High Impact (HBHI) approach in response to the ongoing malaria crisis. The goal is to reduce malaria prevalence to below 10 per cent and malaria-related deaths to fewer than 50 per 1,000 people by 2025.

Efforts have included switching to injectable artesunate for severe malaria treatment and increasing coverage of preventive malaria treatments for pregnant women.

The percentage of pregnant women receiving at least three doses of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine increased from 16.6 per cent in 2018 to 31 per cent in 2021.

(NAN)