JOINT PRESS RELEASE

• On World Malaria Day, Mali turns into the twentieth African nation to introduce the malaria vaccine

• Mali had 3.1% (8.15 million) of worldwide malaria circumstances and a pair of.4% (14, 328) of worldwide malaria deaths in 2023, and it was one of many 11 nations with the very best burden of malaria globally

• The hybrid strategy will see youngsters in Mali obtain the primary three doses based mostly on age, with the fourth and fifth doses administered seasonally forward of the excessive malaria transmission season

Kalaban Coro, Mali – On World Malaria Day, Mali’s Ministry of Well being, with help from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), UNICEF and World Well being Group (WHO), launched a first-of-its-kind malaria vaccine supply strategy, aiming to achieve youngsters aged 5 to 36 months.

The nation turns into the twentieth in Africa to introduce the malaria vaccine into its routine immunization programme with help from Gavi. It’s the first globally to implement a hybrid strategy to vaccine supply: offering the primary three doses month-to-month all year long based mostly on age, adopted by the fourth and fifth doses given seasonally in Might or June of the next years, earlier than the excessive malaria transmission season begins. Offering malaria vaccine doses seasonally is a strategic strategy, because it aligns the interval of highest vaccine safety with the interval of highest malaria threat, and proof, together with analysis from Mali, reveals it maximizes affect. 

The R21/Matrix-M vaccine will initially be rolled out in 19 precedence districts throughout 5 areas: Kayes, Koulikoro, Mopti, Ségou and Sikasso. The nation presently has 927,800 R21/Matrix-M vaccines for introduction.

The 2024 WHO World Malaria Report reveals Mali had 3.1% (8.15 million) of worldwide malaria circumstances and a pair of.4% (14, 328) of worldwide malaria deaths in 2023, and it was one of many 11 nations with the very best burden of malaria globally. 

Mali was amongst eight nations with substantial will increase in malaria caseloads between 2019 and 2023, with a rise of 1.4 million circumstances, in response to knowledge from WHO. The African area shoulders the heaviest malaria burden globally, accounting for about 94% of all circumstances and 95% of deaths.

“You’ll agree with me that the method of introducing the malaria vaccine into the EPI (Expanded Programme on Immunization) was marked by the deployment of immense efforts by all stakeholders. I pay tribute to our researchers for his or her essential function throughout medical trials and whose prowess contributed to the advice of the RTS, S and R21 vaccines by WHO. The profitable introduction of the malaria vaccine into the EPI is a problem that every stakeholder should shoulder till we’ve got taken it to scale. We’re absolutely ready to implement the vaccine, for the nice happiness of the individuals of Mali, to bolster our efforts in lowering the burden of this illness,” mentioned Colonel Assa Badiallo Touré, Mali’s Minister of Well being. 

Gavi leads the worldwide malaria vaccination programme, working with nations and companions, and gives funding to nations and companions comparable to UNICEF and WHO for the procurement, transport and roll-out of doses. By way of Gavi’s distinctive co-financing mannequin, nations are additionally contributing to the price of vaccination programmes – together with malaria – progressively rising their monetary contributions. The way forward for the worldwide malaria vaccination programme is at a essential juncture as Gavi seeks to boost funding for its subsequent five-year strategic interval from 2026 to 2030. 

Commenting on the historic roll-out, Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, mentioned: “Gavi welcomes the Authorities of Mali’s dedication to saving lives and considerably lowering the devastating affect of malaria on households, communities, and hospitals. With the malaria vaccine now being deployed in 20 nations and over 24 million doses delivered, constant funding and funding are essential to make sure this new, important software reaches all those that want it equally. So long as assets can be found, Gavi pledges its continued dedication and help to the battle towards one among Africa’s deadliest illnesses. We’re proud to be part of this important step ahead.”

UNICEF performs an important function in distributing and delivering vaccines, making certain a gentle provide of excellent high quality vaccines for kids in want throughout malaria-endemic areas and helps governments and native communities in evidence-based demand technology for the malaria management, together with vaccination.

“The introduction of the Malaria vaccine marks a essential milestone for the youngsters and folks of Mali,” mentioned Dr Pierre Ngom, UNICEF Consultant in Mali. “We’ve lengthy awaited this second. After 35 years of devoted analysis and improvement, the malaria vaccine lastly presents a strong new software to guard our youngsters from this life-threatening illness. UNICEF is supporting the federal government’s group engagement efforts in Mali to make sure the immunisation enhances present malaria prevention measures. Younger volunteers utilizing U-Report are key to this effort, utilising digital instruments like chatbots to attach with communities, promote vaccination, and counter misinformation.”

WHO coordinated the pilot analysis of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi by the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP), co-funded by Gavi, the International Fund and UNITAID. Between 2019 and 2023, over 2 million youngsters obtained the vaccine, resulting in a 13% discount in mortality in youngsters age-eligible for vaccination. This proof supported WHO’s suggestion and prequalification of right now’s two malaria vaccines.

“The malaria vaccine is among the most consequential breakthroughs in public well being in latest instances – a vital addition to malaria management instruments to guard youngsters from this lethal illness and bolster our efforts to decrease the burden of malaria,” mentioned Dr Patrick Kabore, WHO Consultant in Mali. 

The vaccine enhances present malaria prevention measures already carried out by the Authorities of Mali, together with the usage of insecticide-treated nets, seasonal malaria chemoprevention, intermittent preventive remedy throughout being pregnant, and indoor insecticide spraying.

Malaria vaccination in Africa

The introduction in Mali on World Malaria Day comes a number of weeks after Uganda rolled out the most important malaria vaccine roll-out to this point by way of goal districts and inhabitants. 

Since 2023, greater than 24 million malaria vaccine doses have been delivered to the African continent as nations steadily scale up their programmes. The tempo of the rollout throughout the continent underscores the excessive demand from nations for a brand new software within the battle towards one among Africa’s deadliest illnesses. The whole burden of malaria within the 20 nations in Africa which are presently vaccinating youngsters accounts for over 70% of the worldwide malaria burden in response to knowledge within the 2024 World Malaria Report. 

Along with the information from the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP) in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, early outcomes from nations comparable to Cameroon present the promise of the introduction of the malaria vaccine and the affect on households and communities. Extra nations are anticipated to introduce this yr, and by the top of 2025, an extra 13 million youngsters throughout Africa are anticipated to be protected with the malaria vaccine. In its subsequent strategic interval from 2026 to 2030, Gavi goals to assist nations scale up these programmes, absolutely defending an extra 50 million youngsters with 4 doses of the malaria vaccine – pending availability of adequate funding. 

Notes to Editors

• Multimedia content material from the malaria vaccine rollout in Mali, up to date in real-time, together with pictures and interviews with researchers from Mali’s Malaria Analysis and Coaching Heart and b-roll right here.

• Why the hybrid vaccination strategy in Mali? Malaria transmission in Mali is extremely seasonal, with nearly all of circumstances occurring between July and December. By way of the hybrid vaccination strategy, youngsters obtain the primary three doses all year long based mostly on age and doses 4 and 5 in subsequent years seasonally, simply earlier than the beginning of the excessive transmission season. Proof has proven that seasonal administration of the malaria vaccine can improve affect as a result of the interval of highest vaccine efficacy coincides with the interval of highest malaria threat.

• Why youngsters, not adults? Kids beneath the age of 5 are on the biggest threat of dying from malaria and account for greater than 75% of the worldwide deaths from the illness. In contrast to adults, younger youngsters haven’t had the chance to develop partial immunity by years of publicity, making them notably in danger. 

• Malaria vaccine security and effectiveness: Each the RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M vaccines are prequalified and really useful by WHO to stop malaria in youngsters and are secure and efficient. 

  • In part 3 medical trials, each vaccines diminished malaria circumstances by greater than half in the course of the first yr after vaccination, a interval when youngsters are at excessive threat of sickness and loss of life. A fourth dose given within the second yr of life extended safety. 

  • Each vaccines cut back malaria circumstances by about 75% when given seasonally in areas of extremely seasonal transmission – the place half of childhood malaria deaths happen. 

  • The vaccines goal P. falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite globally and essentially the most prevalent in Africa. Extra in regards to the vaccine right here: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/merchandise/q-a-on-rts-s-malaria-vaccine 

• Tailor-made programmes: Delivering 4 or 5 doses of the vaccine means discovering methods to constantly attain these at highest threat in each nation. Most nations are scaling up vaccination in a step-by-step phased strategy, implementing tailor made methods that work greatest for their very own distinctive contexts and challenges. For instance:

  • In December 2024, with help from Gavi and Companions, Nigeria, a rustic with the very best burden of malaria globally, started a phased rollout in Kebbi and Bayelsa states, the place malaria prevalence is especially excessive. Over 800,000 vaccine doses are set to be distributed on this first part, a essential step in the direction of lowering the devastating affect of the illness.

  • In Chad, Gavi supported the combination of the malaria vaccine as a part of an formidable and pioneering triple vaccine roll-out towards three lethal childhood illnesses: Malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea – maximising affect and effectivity in lower-resourced settings.

  • In fragile contexts throughout Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), rollout have been integrated into different response plans. 

About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate greater than half the world’s youngsters towards among the world’s deadliest illnesses. The Vaccine Alliance brings collectively creating nation and donor governments, the World Well being Group, UNICEF, the World Financial institution, the vaccine trade, technical businesses, civil society, the Invoice & Melinda Gates Basis and different non-public sector companions. View the complete record of donor governments and different main organisations that fund Gavi’s work right here.

Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a complete technology – over 1.1 billion youngsters – and prevented greater than 18.8 million future deaths, serving to to halve baby mortality in 78 decrease‑earnings nations. Gavi additionally performs a key function in enhancing world well being safety by supporting well being programs in addition to funding world stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After 20 years of progress, Gavi is now centered on defending the subsequent technology, above all of the zero-dose youngsters who haven’t obtained even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs modern finance and the most recent know-how – from drones to biometrics – to save lots of lives, stop outbreaks earlier than they’ll unfold and assist nations on the street to self-sufficiency. Be taught extra at www.gavi.org and join with us on Fb and X (Twitter).

About UNICEF 

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of each baby, in every little thing we do. Along with our companions, we work in 190 nations and territories to translate that dedication into sensible motion, focusing particular effort on reaching essentially the most susceptible and excluded youngsters, to the advantage of all youngsters, in all places.

For extra details about UNICEF and its work for kids, go to https://www.unicef.org/mali 

Observe UNICEF on Twitter, Fb, Instagram and YouTube.

About WHO

World Well being Group contributes to a greater future for individuals in all places. Good well being lays the muse for vibrant and productive communities, stronger economies, safer nations and a greater world. Because the lead well being authority inside the United Nations system, our work touches individuals’s lives around the globe every single day. In Africa, WHO serves 47 Member States and works with improvement companions to enhance the well being and well-being of all individuals dwelling right here. The WHO Regional Workplace for Africa is positioned in Brazzaville, Congo. Be taught extra at www.afro.who.int and observe us on Twitter, Fb and YouTube.

Media contacts

Eunice Kilonzo-Muraya, Gavi
+41 76 424 85 03
ekilonzo [at] gavi.org (ekilonzo[at]gavi[dot]org) 

Meg Sharafudeen, Gavi
+41 79 711 55 54
msharafudeen [at] gavi.org (msharafudeen[at]gavi[dot]org)

Stephanie Pleasure Raison, UNICEF Mali
+223 75 99 93 11
sraison [at] unicef.org (sraison[at]unicef[dot]org) 

Fatou Diagne, UNICEF Mali
+223 71 17 03 55 
fdiagne [at] unicef.org (fdiagne[at]unicef[dot]org)