From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Barring any unexpected change in plans, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, perhaps, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), will commence malaria vaccination on Monday, 25th November, 2024.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in October, donated 846,200 doses of R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine to the federal government for the pilot phase of the malaria vaccine administration.
The first phase of the vaccination will take place in Kebbi, and Bayelsa States, and would be administered in four doses on infants at 5, 6, 7, and 15 months of age, to be fully protected.
The second phase will be in 19 states + FCT, and the rest of the states in the federation will join in the third and last phases.
The NPHCDA said it has commenced the training of health workers that would be involved in the immunisation, adding that it also hosted stakeholders across the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) and non-EPI sectors ahead the introduction of the malaria vaccine in Nigeria
Dr. Aliyu Ladan, the Director for Advocacy and Communication at the NPHCDA, stated that the engagements mark a critical step in the fight against malaria, focusing on partnership, innovation, and inclusivity, to ensure successful rollout and equitable access for all.
Similarly, the Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC) has congratulated the Federal Ministry of Health and NPHCDA for a job well done, and promised to play their part in ensuring that the roll out is a success.
Meanwhile, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, who took delivery of the vaccines in October, said the arrival of the vaccines mark the beginning of a new trajectory in the fight against malaria, commending the WHO, UNICEF and other Development Partners for the great role they have played over the years to the realistic of the dream.
He said: “Undoubtedly, Nigeria has a high malaria burden, and we are committed to bringing down the burden, hence the Rethinking Malaria Conference that was held early in the year.
“As we try to improve the primary healthcare services, we won’t relent in tackling several other communicable and non-communicable diseases. We have enjoyed the support of the president, and we promised that more progress will be recorded with the support and collaboration of all stakeholders through the platform of the Sector-Wide Program Coordination.”
Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr. Muyi Aina said the arrival of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine from Gavi was a testament to government commitment to protecting the lives of Nigerians.
He further stated that the second and third phases of vaccination are scheduled for 2025 and will target 19 States and FCT for the second phase, while the third phase will target the remaining 15 states.
“But to ensure a successful roll-out, we have established an elaborate cross programme coordinating mechanisms that bring together key stakeholders and expertise in the malaria and immunisation space at the national and subnational levels.
“The team has developed a robust and responsive demand generation strategy that is citizen-centred, and recognized the needs and expectations of stakeholders at all levels including caregivers, community gatekeepers, and front-line health-workers,” he added.
