The Federal Government says that the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine will be available in the country by April 2024.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, made this disclosure during a press briefing to mark World Malaria Day on Tuesday.
Dr. Ehanire noted that Nigeria had applied for the vaccine during the third application window, which closed on April 18, 2023.
He added that the National Programme was collaborating with other stakeholders, including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, to access and deploy the vaccine in phases, subject to the availability of the needed quantity.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended the use of the RTS, S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions with moderate to high Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission in 2021. The third window of applications for support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which opened until April 18, is expected to aid in the allocation of the vaccine.
Despite the government’s efforts to combat malaria and its impact, Nigeria still accounts for 27 percent of global malaria cases and 32 percent of global malaria deaths.
However, the deployment of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine in Nigeria, which is the world’s highest-burden country for malaria, is expected to significantly reduce the prevalence of the disease.
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