Over 200,000 Nigerian children receive new malaria vaccine – NPHCDA

Malaria Vaccine

No fewer than 202,860 Nigerian children have so far received doses of the new malaria vaccine, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) disclosed on Tuesday.

The deployment of the vaccine follows Nigeria’s receipt of 846,000 doses of the R21 malaria vaccine from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in October 2024. The World Health Organization (WHO) approved two childhood malaria vaccines, RTS,S and the more effective R21/Matrix-M, which demonstrated 77 percent efficacy in early clinical trials.

Nigeria begun a pilot rollout of the R21 vaccine in Bayelsa and Kebbi states, where over 200,000 doses have already been administered to children most vulnerable to severe malaria.

Read also: Nigeria faces vaccine shortage as funding staggers

Malaria remains a leading cause of child death in Nigeria, accounting for thousands of preventable fatalities every year. Health experts say the introduction of the vaccine marks a crucial step towards reducing the disease burden, provided sustained investment and equitable access are prioritised.

Speaking at the quarterly media briefing organised by the agency in Abuja, Muyi Aina, executive director and chief executive officer of the NPHCDA informed that President Bola Tinubu released ₦68 billion to finance vaccine procurement to sustain routine immunisation.

He noted that this injection prevented an imminent stock-out that would have affected routine and campaign immunisations.

He informed that government has documented 7.4 million children and vaccinated 3.4 million of them with routine and supplementary immunisations, including 163,000 “zero-dose” children. He added that the figures were achieved under the agency’s “Identify, Enumerate and Vaccinate” strategy, which seeks to reach all children, including those who had never received any vaccine.

The ED further informed that the first phase of the integrated campaign targeted 106 million Nigerians aged 0–14 years, combining routine immunisations with malaria prevention and treatment, HPV vaccines for adolescent girls, and interventions against neglected tropical diseases.

He reported that, so far, nearly 39 million children have received oral polio vaccines (OPV) and over 59 million children have been vaccinated against measles and rubella, representing 92% of the target population. He added that 678,000 adolescent girls received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and 950,000 people received malaria treatment and prevention.

Aina, further informed that the NPHCDA is investing heavily in cold chain infrastructure. According to him, 1,642 health facilities now have solar-powered refrigerators, allowing vaccines to be stored safely and accessed by community health workers. He noted that the agency has upgraded national storage hubs, including the main hub in Abuja and a rebuilt hub in Caddo, Kano, to ensure vaccines reach state stores and local facilities efficiently.

On polio, Aina said Nigeria remains vigilant despite eradicating wild poliovirus. He reported a 40% reduction in variant-type polio cases compared to the same period in the previous two years, but warned that migration from the north and northeast continues to pose a risk, making ongoing immunisation campaigns essential to maintain population immunity.

The NPHCDA urged state governments to take ownership of vaccine delivery, stressing that federal supply alone is insufficient. He called on media organisations, religious and traditional institutions, and civil society groups to help communicate vaccine availability and importance, so that parents are aware of where to access services.

He emphasised that vaccination should be treated as an investment in public health, not merely as expenditure, adding that government’s goal is to ensure no child is left unvaccinated and that communities, particularly those historically underserved, benefit from integrated, well-resourced vaccination campaigns.

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