Malaria Vaccine Reduces Severe Illness in Cameroon but Fourth-Dose Coverage Remains Low

Cameroon recorded an estimated 33,000 fewer malaria cases in 2025 than in 2024 after the RTS,S vaccine entered routine use in 42 high-burden districts. First-dose coverage rose from 66 percent to 68 percent, second-dose coverage from 53 percent to 58 percent, and third-dose coverage from 48 percent to 59 percent between 2024 and 2025, according to data from the National Malaria Control Program.

Coverage for the fourth dose, given around age two, stood at 25 percent as of 2025. Officials said parents and health workers sometimes forget the later appointment because it occurs months after the third dose. A study of pilot programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi found first-dose coverage reached about 80 percent while fourth-dose coverage fell to 46 percent.

Health workers at Soa District Hospital said pediatric wards have become less crowded since the vaccine rollout. The World Health Organization recommended the RTS,S vaccine for wider use in 2021 after pilot data showed a 13 percent reduction in deaths among eligible children.

More than 52 million doses have reached 25 high-risk African countries with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi has stated that foreign aid reductions have created supply constraints for further expansion. Dr. Bomba Amougou, head of prevention at the National Malaria Control Program, said isolating the vaccine's contribution requires additional modeling.

Cameroon recorded an estimated 7.6 million malaria cases and 11,700 deaths in 2024.