『Malaria Vaccine Rollout Sweeps Across Africa, Aiming to Save Millions of Children』のカバーアート

Malaria Vaccine Rollout Sweeps Across Africa, Aiming to Save Millions of Children

Malaria Vaccine Rollout Sweeps Across Africa, Aiming to Save Millions of Children

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 Africa is witnessing a historic moment in the fight against malaria, as several countries expand their routine childhood immunization programs to include malaria vaccines, a move experts believe could dramatically reduce child deaths on the continent. According to Nature, Uganda launched the continent’s largest malaria vaccine rollout in March 2025, distributing over two million doses of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine to 105 districts and targeting more than a million children under the age of two. This major initiative is backed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF, and it marks Uganda’s determination to integrate the four-dose vaccine into its regular health system while continuing traditional measures like bed nets and indoor spraying.

Other African nations are quickly following suit. Guinea just added the RTS,S malaria vaccine to its standard childhood immunization regimen, with free access for infants aged 5 to 11 months in four highly affected districts, as announced by DevelopmentAid on August 20, 2025. Guinea’s Health Minister called this addition a “historic step forward,” noting that the vaccine’s introduction is crucial in a country where malaria is responsible for more than a third of all hospital visits and remains the leading killer of children under five. UNICEF has delivered more than half a million vaccine doses and trained healthcare workers, with public awareness efforts rolling out on radio and television. Previous data from countries such as Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi — where the vaccine is already in use — shows a significant reduction in malaria-related hospitalizations and deaths.

Nigeria’s Kebbi State is seeing promising early results from the malaria vaccine campaign, according to a Gavi report from August 15, 2025. Healthcare workers there describe a notable drop in daily malaria cases among children since the introduction of the vaccine, which has eased the burden on overstretched clinics and caregivers. The hope is that these benefits will expand as coverage increases.

There is also important innovation in malaria prevention campaigns. Médecins Sans Frontières and Chadian health officials are experimenting with integrating the R21 vaccine into routine seasonal malaria chemoprevention programs, especially targeting regions with highly seasonal malaria transmission. As reported by MSF on August 21, 2025, the aim is to both protect children and compare approaches for maximizing the impact of new vaccines. Clinical trials indicate both the R21 and RTS,S vaccines reduce malaria cases by more than 50% in the first year after vaccination.

In addition to vaccines, a breakthrough treatment for the youngest patients is on the horizon. The Africa CDC announced on August 16, 2025, that Switzerland has approved a new artemether-lumefantrin formulation tailored specifically for newborns and infants under five kilograms—a group that previously had no approved safe treatment options. The new medicine dissolves in breast milk with a sweet flavor, greatly improving ease of administration for infants. Rapid regulatory approval is expected in several African countries, thanks to collaborative trials and expedited review processes.

Experts, including those at Africa CDC, highlight that these rapid developments in both prevention and treatment mark a turning point, but stress that vaccines and new drugs are meant to complement—not replace—established measures like bed nets, spraying, and prompt medical care. According to the latest World Health Organization report, malaria killed nearly 600,000 people in 2023, with 95 percent of these deaths occurring in Africa and the majority among children under five. With new tools becoming available and deployment accelerating, public health authorities across Africa express optimism that these efforts could bring the continent closer to a malaria-free future within a generation.
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