Ziggy Ojiegbe

World Health Organization says new evidence from Africa has shown that malaria vaccines are significantly reducing child deaths and could save tens of thousands more lives annually as immunization programs expand across the continent.

The findings, published in The Lancet, are based on a large-scale evaluation of the RTS,S malaria vaccine introduced in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi between 2019 and 2023.

According to the study, the vaccine demonstrated substantial real-world effectiveness, confirming that it is helping to save children’s lives in regions heavily affected by malaria.

Researchers found that during the four-year evaluation period, approximately one in every eight deaths among eligible young children was prevented in areas where the vaccine had been administered.

The results are being described by global health experts as a major breakthrough in the fight against one of Africa’s deadliest childhood diseases.

“This is very solid evidence of the potential for malaria vaccines to change the trajectory of child mortality in Africa,” said Kate O’Brien, who called for urgent global investment to expand access to the vaccines across high-risk countries.

Malaria remains one of the leading causes of death among children under the age of five in Africa. According to WHO estimates, about 438,000 African children died from the disease in 2024 alone, underlining the scale of the public health challenge facing the continent.

WHO said broader deployment of its recommended malaria vaccines, including RTS,S and the newer R21, could dramatically reduce child mortality if introduced at scale in countries with high malaria transmission rates.

The organization added that the positive impact recorded in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi is expected to be replicated, and potentially surpassed, in other African countries now introducing malaria vaccination programs.

Health experts, however, stressed that vaccination alone is not enough and should be used alongside existing malaria prevention and treatment measures.

These include insecticide-treated mosquito nets, rapid testing, timely treatment and broader public health interventions aimed at reducing transmission.

“Malaria vaccination strengthens the response and increases access to prevention,” said Daniel Ngamije Madandi.

WHO also noted that the rollout of malaria vaccines has created additional opportunities to strengthen routine immunization systems in participating countries.

Because the malaria vaccine requires a four-dose schedule delivered over several health visits, health workers are able to provide other essential childhood services during those appointments, including vitamin A supplementation, routine vaccinations and the distribution of mosquito nets.

Despite the encouraging results, WHO warned that inadequate funding remains a major threat to the expansion of malaria vaccination programs across Africa.

The organization said that although demand for the vaccines is growing and supply is increasingly available, many countries still lack sufficient financial resources to procure and distribute the vaccines effectively.

According to WHO, sustained investment is needed not only to purchase vaccine doses but also to support healthcare delivery systems, logistics, community outreach and integration with other malaria prevention strategies.

With more African countries now beginning national malaria vaccine rollouts, WHO is urging governments, donor agencies and international development partners to increase support in order to sustain momentum and ensure that vulnerable communities benefit from the life-saving interventions.

Global health experts believe that if financing and implementation challenges are addressed, malaria vaccines could become one of the most important public health tools in reducing childhood mortality in Africa over the coming decades.