Appolonia Adeyemi 
In response to high demand for the first-ever malaria vaccine, 12 countries in Africa will be allocated a total of 18 million doses of RTS,S/ AS01 for the 2023–2025 period.
According to a statement jointly signed by Gavi, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF, Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme countries Ghana, Kenya and Malawi will receive doses to continue vaccinations in pilot areas; Nigeria is, however, missing among benefitting African countries.
Allocations were also made for new introductions in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone and Uganda. Twelve countries across different regions in Africa are set to receive 18 million doses of the first-ever malaria vaccine over the next two years.
The roll out is a critical step forward in the fight against one of the leading causes of death on the continent. The allocations have been determined through the application of the principles outlined in the Framework for allocation of limited malaria vaccine supply that prioritizes those doses to areas of highest need, where the risk of malaria illness and death among children are highest.
