Global vaccine alliance GAVI, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have announced that 18 million doses of the RTS,S vaccine, the first-ever malaria vaccine, will be distributed to twelve African countries over the next two years.

The vaccine has already demonstrated its safety and effectiveness, reducing severe malaria cases and child deaths.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the urgency of addressing malaria, which claims the lives of nearly half a million African children under the age of five each year.

The initial allocation of doses will allow nine additional African countries to introduce the vaccine into their routine immunization programs, with rollout expected to begin in early 2024.

This significant step is expected to have a substantial impact on malaria prevention and mortality reduction in Africa.