Gavi Reports Fastest Rollout of Malaria Vaccines in 25 African Countries

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, stated that the rollout of malaria vaccines across Africa is the fastest in its history. The organization provides support for these programs. As of April 25, 2026, 25 African countries have integrated malaria vaccines into their routine immunization schedules.

Early reports from implementing countries show decreases in severe malaria cases, hospital admissions, and related deaths. These vaccines are used alongside other measures such as bed nets, chemoprevention, and treatment.

Thabani Maphosa, chief country delivery officer at Gavi, said in an interview that malaria remains a leading cause of illness and death in Africa, particularly among children under five, who account for more than 75% of global malaria deaths. He noted that Africa bears a large portion of the global malaria burden.

Maphosa added that countries are now using vaccines at scale with other tools, leading to reported reductions in severe disease and hospital admissions. The rollout's speed reflects high demand from countries, advance planning, and partnerships, according to Maphosa.

The program involves four doses per child, which has been integrated into existing immunization systems, including in high-burden and fragile settings.

from Kenya, Malawi, Ghana, and Cameroon indicate reductions in severe disease and hospital admissions among vaccinated children, consistent with earlier pilot results. Malaria-related child deaths in the country nearly halved during that period. Countries have adopted phased approaches to scale up vaccination, developing strategies tailored to their immunization coverage and health system capacities.

Delivering the fourth dose, administered later than the first three, presents challenges.

Future Steps Gavi has allocated $5 million for a learning agenda to evaluate delivery methods in seven African countries. This initiative aims to assess the impact and effectiveness of various approaches. Maphosa emphasized that vaccines perform best when combined with other interventions as part of national programs.