JOINT PRESS RELEASE
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On World Malaria Day, Mali becomes the 20th African nation to introduce the malaria vaccine
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Mali had 3.1% (8.15 million) of international malaria cases and a pair of.4% (14, 328) of international malaria deaths in 2023, and it turned into one of many 11 countries with the best doubtless burden of malaria globally
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The hybrid approach will gape children in Mali fetch the principle three doses based on age, with the fourth and fifth doses administered seasonally forward of the high malaria transmission season
Kalaban Coro, Mali – On World Malaria Day, Mali’s Ministry of Properly being, with toughen from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), UNICEF and World Properly being Group (WHO), launched a first-of-its-kind malaria vaccine delivery approach, aiming to reach children outdated 5 to 36 months.
The nation becomes the 20th in Africa to introduce the malaria vaccine into its routine immunization programme with toughen from Gavi. It is the principle globally to implement a hybrid approach to vaccine delivery: offering the principle three doses month-to-month all yr long based on age, followed by the fourth and fifth doses given seasonally in Would perchance maybe or June of the following years, forward of the high malaria transmission season begins. Offering malaria vaccine doses seasonally is a strategic approach, as it aligns the length of best doubtless vaccine safety with the length of best doubtless malaria risk, and proof, including analysis from Mali, shows it maximizes impact.
The R21/Matrix-M vaccine will in the foundation be rolled out in 19 precedence districts all the design in which thru five areas: Kayes, Koulikoro, Mopti, Ségou and Sikasso. The nation for the time being has 927,800 R21/Matrix-M vaccines for introduction.
The 2024 WHO World Malaria Listing shows Mali had 3.1% (8.15 million) of international malaria cases and a pair of.4% (14, 328) of international malaria deaths in 2023, and it turned into one of many 11 countries with the best doubtless burden of malaria globally.
Mali turned into amongst eight countries with massive increases in malaria caseloads between 2019 and 2023, with an secure bigger of 1.4 million cases, in accordance to recordsdata from WHO. The African living shoulders the heaviest malaria burden globally, accounting for roughly 94% of all cases and 95% of deaths.
“It is doubtless you’ll maybe accept as true with me that the technique of introducing the malaria vaccine into the EPI (Expanded Programme on Immunization) turned into marked by the deployment of mammoth efforts by all stakeholders. I pay tribute to our researchers for their obligatory role at some level of scientific trials and whose prowess contributed to the advice of the RTS, S and R21 vaccines by WHO. The successful introduction of the malaria vaccine into the EPI is a diagram back that each stakeholder must shoulder till we have taken it to scale. We’re fully sharp to implement the vaccine, for the good happiness of the people of Mali, to enhance our efforts in decreasing the burden of this illness,” talked about Colonel Assa Badiallo Touré, Mali’s Minister of Properly being.
Gavi leads the international malaria vaccination programme, working with countries and partners, and provides funding to countries and partners equivalent to UNICEF and WHO for the procurement, transport and roll-out of doses. Thru Gavi’s unfamiliar co-financing mannequin, countries are also contributing to the price of vaccination programmes – including malaria – regularly rising their financial contributions. The long bustle of the international malaria vaccination programme is at a necessary juncture as Gavi seeks to elevate funding for its subsequent five-yr strategic length from 2026 to 2030.
Commenting on the historic roll-out, Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, talked about: “Gavi welcomes the Government of Mali’s commitment to saving lives and vastly decreasing the devastating impact of malaria on families, communities, and hospitals. With the malaria vaccine now being deployed in 20 countries and over 24 million doses delivered, fixed funding and investment are obligatory to guarantee that this novel, necessary tool reaches all these that need it equally. So long as resources are available in, Gavi pledges its continued commitment and toughen to the combat towards one of Africa’s deadliest diseases. We’re proud to be a fraction of this necessary step forward.”
UNICEF performs a necessary role in distributing and turning in vaccines, guaranteeing a proper provide of true kind quality vaccines for children in need all the design in which thru malaria-endemic areas and helps governments and native communities in proof-based question technology for the malaria protect an eye on, including vaccination.
“The introduction of the Malaria vaccine marks a necessary milestone for the kids and other people of Mali,” talked about Dr Pierre Ngom, UNICEF Consultant in Mali. “We have long awaited this moment. After 35 years of dedicated analysis and pattern, the malaria vaccine at closing provides a highly efficient novel tool to offer protection to our childhood from this lifestyles-threatening illness. UNICEF is supporting the authorities’s team engagement efforts in Mali to guarantee that the immunisation complements present malaria prevention measures. Younger volunteers utilizing U-Listing are key to this effort, utilising digital tools love chatbots to connect with communities, promote vaccination, and counter misinformation.”
WHO coordinated the pilot review of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi thru the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP), co-funded by Gavi, the Global Fund and UNITAID. Between 2019 and 2023, over 2 million children obtained the vaccine, main to a 13% reduction in mortality in children age-eligible for vaccination. This proof supported WHO’s advice and prequalification of today’s two malaria vaccines.
“The malaria vaccine is one of many most consequential breakthroughs in public health in present cases – a necessary addition to malaria protect an eye on tools to offer protection to children from this deadly illness and bolster our efforts to decrease the burden of malaria,” talked about Dr Patrick Kabore, WHO Consultant in Mali.
The vaccine complements present malaria prevention measures already implemented by the Government of Mali, including the utilization of insecticide-treated nets, seasonal malaria chemoprevention, intermittent preventive remedy at some level of being pregnant, and indoor insecticide spraying.
Malaria vaccination in Africa
The introduction in Mali on World Malaria Day comes about a weeks after Uganda rolled out an extraordinarily essential malaria vaccine roll-out to date when it comes to target districts and inhabitants.
Since 2023, extra than 24 million malaria vaccine doses had been delivered to the African continent as countries regularly scale up their programmes. The rush of the rollout all the design in which thru the continent underscores the high question from countries for a brand novel tool in the combat towards one of Africa’s deadliest diseases. The total burden of malaria in the 20 countries in Africa that are for the time being vaccinating children accounts for over 70% of the international malaria burden in accordance to recordsdata in the 2024 World Malaria Listing.
Besides to to the records from the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP) in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, early results from countries equivalent to Cameroon narrate the promise of the introduction of the malaria vaccine and the impact on families and communities. Extra countries are expected to introduce this yr, and by the top of 2025, a further 13 million children all the design in which thru Africa are expected to be protected with the malaria vaccine. In its subsequent strategic length from 2026 to 2030, Gavi goals to lend a hand countries scale up these programmes, fully preserving a extra 50 million children with four doses of the malaria vaccine – pending availability of sufficient funding.
Notes to Editors
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Multimedia narrate material from the malaria vaccine rollout in Mali, updated in exact-time, including photos and interviews with researchers from Mali’s Malaria Review and Coaching Heart and b-roll here.
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Why the hybrid vaccination approach in Mali? Malaria transmission in Mali is extremely seasonal, with the massive majority of cases happening between July and December. Thru the hybrid vaccination approach, children fetch the principle three doses all yr long based on age and doses 4 and 5 in subsequent years seasonally, lovely forward of the commence of the high transmission season. Evidence has shown that seasonal administration of the malaria vaccine can secure bigger impact for the reason that length of best doubtless vaccine efficacy coincides with the length of best doubtless malaria risk.
- Why children, not adults? Younger people below the age of 5 are on the very most enthralling risk of demise from malaria and story for extra than 75% of the international deaths from the illness. In inequity to adults, young children haven’t had the choice to produce partial immunity thru years of publicity, making them namely at risk.
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Malaria vaccine safety and effectiveness: Every the RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M vaccines are prequalified and instructed by WHO to prevent malaria in children and are protected and efficient.
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In segment 3 scientific trials, both vaccines reduced malaria cases by extra than half of at some level of the principle yr after vaccination, a length when children are at high risk of illness and death. A fourth dose given in the 2d yr of lifestyles prolonged safety.
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Every vaccines decrease malaria cases by about 75% when given seasonally in areas of highly seasonal transmission – the save half of of childhood malaria deaths occur.
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The vaccines target P. falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite globally and the most prevalent in Africa. More in regards to the vaccine here: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-solutions/merchandise/q-a-on-rts-s-malaria-vaccine
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Tailored programmes: Delivering 4 or 5 doses of the vaccine formula discovering techniques to repeatedly reach these at best doubtless risk in each nation. Most countries are scaling up vaccination in a step-by-step phased approach, implementing tailor made techniques that work simplest for their possess unfamiliar contexts and challenges. As an illustration:
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In December 2024, with toughen from Gavi and Companions, Nigeria, a nation with the best doubtless burden of malaria globally, began a phased rollout in Kebbi and Bayelsa states, the save malaria occurrence is namely high. Over 800,000 vaccine doses are living to be disbursed on this necessary segment, a necessary step towards decreasing the devastating impact of the illness.
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In Chad, Gavi supported the integration of the malaria vaccine as fragment of an formidable and pioneering triple vaccine roll-out towards three deadly childhood diseases: Malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea – maximising impact and efficiency in decrease-resourced settings.
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In fragile contexts all the design in which thru Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), rollout had been integrated into other response plans.
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About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate extra than half of the sector’s children towards one of the most sector’s deadliest diseases. The Vaccine Alliance brings together growing nation and donor governments, the World Properly being Group, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Invoice & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. Look the corpulent listing of donor governments and other main organisations that fund Gavi’s work here.
Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a whole technology – over 1.1 billion children – and shunned extra than 18.8 million future deaths, serving to to halve baby mortality in 78 decrease‑profits countries. Gavi also performs a key role in enhancing international health safety by supporting health programs to boot to funding international stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After two a long time of growth, Gavi is now centered on preserving the subsequent technology, above the overall zero-dose children who haven’t obtained even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the most popular technology – from drones to biometrics – to save lives, prevent outbreaks forward of they may be able to spread and lend a hand countries on the toll road to self-sufficiency. Be taught extra at www.gavi.org and repair with us on Fb and X (Twitter).
About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every baby, in all the pieces we attain. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into purposeful action, focusing particular effort on reaching the most inclined and excluded children, to the aid of all children, in each single save.
For added records about UNICEF and its work for children, refer to https://www.unicef.org/mali
Apply UNICEF on Twitter, Fb, Instagram and YouTube.
About WHO
World Properly being Group contributes to the next future for of us in each single save. Correct health lays the foundation for vivid and productive communities, stronger economies, safer countries and the next world. As the lead health authority all the design in which thru the United Worldwide locations system, our work touches people’s lives around the sector each day. In Africa, WHO serves 47 Member States and works with pattern partners to pork up the health and well-being of all people living here. The WHO Regional Intention of job for Africa is situated in Brazzaville, Congo. Be taught extra at www.afro.who.int and note 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 seventy nine 711 55 54
msharafudeen [at] gavi.org (msharafudeen[at]gavi[dot]org)
Stephanie Joy Raison, UNICEF Mali
+223 75 ninety nine 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)
