“On World Malaria Day, Mali’s Ministry of Health, with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO), launched a first-of-its-kind malaria vaccine delivery approach, aiming to reach children aged 5 to 36 months.
The country becomes the 20th in Africa to introduce the malaria vaccine into its routine immunization programme with support from Gavi. It is the first globally to implement a hybrid approach to vaccine delivery: providing the first three doses monthly throughout the year based on age, followed by the fourth and fifth doses given seasonally in May or June of the following years, before the high malaria transmission season starts. Providing malaria vaccine doses seasonally is a strategic approach, as it aligns the period of highest vaccine protection with the period of highest malaria risk, and evidence, including research from Mali, shows it maximizes impact.
The R21/Matrix-M vaccine will initially be rolled out in 19 priority districts across five regions: Kayes, Koulikoro, Mopti, Ségou and Sikasso. The country currently has 927,800 R21/Matrix-M vaccines for introduction.”