UNICEF secures deal to distribute second malaria vaccine to combat childhood deaths

USA — UNICEF has recently announced a groundbreaking agreement to ensure the availability of the world’s second malaria vaccine, R21/Matrix-M.

This significant development marks a major stride in addressing the pressing demand for vaccines against malaria, a disease that continues to claim the lives of one child under the age of five every minute.

The long-term agreement, which spans from 2024 to 2028 and is contingent on vaccine pre-qualification by the World Health Organization, has been sealed with Serum Life Sciences.

UNICEF’s Director of Supply Division, Leila Pakkala, underscores the critical nature of this agreement, stating, “It is heartbreaking and unacceptable that almost half a million children die of malaria every year. This agreement is a critical step towards protecting more children from this deadly disease.”

Under this four-year agreement, UNICEF anticipates initiating deliveries of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine and commencing immunization programs by mid-2024.

This effort complements UNICEF’s ongoing work to expand access to malaria vaccines and works in tandem with the introduction of the groundbreaking RTS,S malaria vaccine, with deliveries slated to commence in late 2023.

Both the R21/Matrix-M and RTS,S malaria vaccines are the culmination of 35 years of dedicated research and development.

They represent a historic milestone as the first vaccines developed to combat a parasitic disease. These vaccines target Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite worldwide and the most prevalent in Africa.

Their introduction is seen as a crucial addition to the arsenal of strategies employed in the battle against malaria.

UNICEF’s role as the world’s largest single vaccine procurer, responsible for sourcing over 2 billion vaccine doses annually for routine child immunization and outbreak responses in nearly 100 countries, is pivotal.

The procurement of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine is expected to bolster global supply and expedite equitable access to malaria vaccines for children and families.

Health experts view this new vaccine as a game-changer in the fight against this tropical disease. The partnership between Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, has significantly boosted the production capacity of this vaccine.

This capacity now surpasses that of GSK, the pharmaceutical company responsible for the RTS,S vaccine, which became the first malaria vaccine to receive approval for use in 2021.

Malaria, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes and caused by parasites, is both preventable and treatable, yet it remains a significant global health threat.

In 2021, over 240 million cases were recorded, with a tragic statistic revealing that a child under five succumbs to malaria almost every minute.

The rollout of a long-awaited malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01 across 12 African countries was announced in July and is expected to unfold over the next two years, potentially saving tens of thousands of lives.

An initial allocation of 18 million doses of the vaccine has been designated for countries where children face the highest risk of falling ill or dying from malaria. This allocation is a collaborative effort between Gavi, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF.

Following successful trials involving 1.7 million children in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi since 2019, the vaccine, deemed “safe and effective” in reducing severe illness and deaths, is now poised to make a profound impact.

According to Thabani Maphosa, the Managing Director of Country Programs Delivery at Gavi, “This vaccine has the potential to be very impactful in the fight against malaria, and when broadly deployed alongside other interventions, it can prevent tens of thousands of deaths every year.”

Sixteen additional African nations have expressed their desire to access the vaccine and will be eagerly awaiting supplies as production is scaled up.

The vaccine is currently manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, but with an estimated requirement of 60 million doses annually by 2026, the Indian company Bharat Biotech will soon join the effort to ensure an adequate supply.

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