In a significant effort to combat the rising incidence of malaria, development partners have provided Nigeria with 846,000 doses of anti-malaria vaccines.
The announcement was made on Thursday by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, in Abuja.
Prof. Pate emphasized that the vaccine would significantly reduce the mortality rate associated with the malaria surge.
Reports revealed that the vaccine, RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix), has a proven track record of reducing mortality rates, particularly among children.
In 2023, Nigeria became the third African country to introduce the vaccine, following Ghana and Kenya.
Of the 97 percent of Nigeria’s population affected by malaria, the southern regions experience more severe outbreaks annually compared to the northern region, where the malaria season lasts up to three months.
He noted that the vaccine would be distributed to the most affected areas, particularly rural regions.
In the fight against this public health threat, global partners such as WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi have pledged technical and financial support to eliminate malaria in Nigeria.
According to Dr. Muyi Aino, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Bayelsa and Kebbi are the primary targets as the fight for malaria elimination continues.
By Helen Okechukwu
