Nigeria to roll out a new malaria vaccine

Nigeria will become one of the first countries to roll out a new malaria vaccine after receiving a first batch of 846,200 doses.

Developed by scientists at the University of Oxford in England, the R21 vaccination was produced by the Serum Institute of India and Novavax.

The Nigerian Health Minister, Muhammad Ali Pate, says the doses represent a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to eliminate malaria.

Mosquitoes, which spread the disease to humans through bites, breed in water and are especially plentiful during the rainy season.

Malaria remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, affecting some 97 per cent of the population.

According to the World Health Organization, it is the world’s worst-affected country, accounting for 31 per cent of global deaths from the disease.

The health ministry says the inoculations, which were procured in partnership with the international Vaccine Alliance, Gavi, will be administered freely.

A trial roll out will begin in two states with the highest malaria burden, Kebbi in the north and Bayelsa on the coast, before expanding nationwide.

A balance of 153,800 more doses is expected in the country on 26 October, bringing the number of available vaccines to a million.