By Muhammad Amaan
The World Health Organization (WHO) has hailed Nigeria’s malaria vaccine champions for helping reduce malaria cases and deaths among children under five through improved immunisation coverage nationwide.
Nigeria’s malaria vaccine rollout has expanded beyond initial pilot states Bayelsa and Kebbi to include Bauchi and Ondo in April, following successful readiness assessments and strengthened health system preparedness.
The expansion is part of a broader national strategy to integrate malaria vaccination into routine immunisation services in high-burden communities, aiming to improve access and reduce child mortality rates across Nigeria.
WHO, in a statement on Monday, commended individuals championing the vaccine in pilot states, highlighting the contributions of health workers such as Mr Sherif Omoniyi in Kebbi State.
Mr Omoniyi, a 34-year-old pharmacist with nine years’ experience and mother of two, including seven-month-old Abdulrazaq, supports community uptake of the malaria vaccine through counselling and outreach efforts.
Abdulrazaq is eligible for the new R21 malaria vaccine introduced in Nigeria in 2024, which is being administered to infants within the recommended immunisation age bracket across participating states.
“I am preparing Abdulrazaq to receive the malaria vaccination at the health facility. I am glad that he falls within the age bracket of 5 ‒11 months,” the statement quoted Sherifat as saying.
Bayelsa and Kebbi States were the first to introduce the R21 malaria vaccine in 2024, serving as pilot locations for evaluating rollout effectiveness and operational delivery across primary healthcare systems.
“The malaria vaccine is administered in four doses: first at five months, second at six months, third at seven months, and a booster at least six months later, depending on adherence and eligibility.
“I would like to advise all mothers whose children fall within this age bracket to bring them to the health facility to benefit from this vaccine,” Omoniyi said.
Mr Omoniyi also expressed gratitude to partners supporting the rollout, including WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for strengthening immunisation systems and community engagement efforts.
“Almost 569,000 children aged 5–21 months have received at least one dose of the malaria vaccine as of March 2026, contributing to reduced illness and improved child survival outcomes.
“It is a great privilege and opportunity to reduce the spread of malaria. We really appreciate it. Thank you,” she said, noting the importance of continued vaccine acceptance.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina, said vaccine administration had steadily increased across implementing states, reflecting growing uptake and programme expansion.
“In the area of coverage, a total of 984,559 children have received at least one dose in Kebbi and Bayelsa, while Ondo recorded more than 166,342 children and Bauchi 105,890.
“This brings the total number of children reached to almost 1.3 million,” he said, highlighting progress in national immunisation coverage and service delivery.
He further disclosed that more than 600,000 vaccine doses were currently stored in the national cold chain system to support ongoing rollout and future distribution across participating states.
Dr Aina described vaccines as one of the most effective and cost-efficient public health interventions, emphasising their strong safety profile and role in preventing infectious diseases.
“Vaccines are much safer and much cheaper than most medicines people buy in stores or use for malaria treatment,” he said, emphasising the importance of continued public confidence.
He said that vaccines underwent strict testing and regulatory approval before deployment, ensuring safety, effectiveness, and compliance with international public health standards and protocols.
