Strategies for malaria vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic in African countries

Abstract

Abstract: Since October 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine for children in areas of moderate to high transmission of Plasmodium falciparum in Africa. The vaccine can reduce the 241 million cases of malaria and 627 000 malaria deaths worldwide; it is much needed in the WHO African Region, which accounts for 228 million cases of malaria (95% of global cases) and about 96% of global malaria deaths. However, an effective vaccine roll-out in Africa can only be achieved when region-specific challenges can be overcome; intraregional inequality, health-care systems strengthening and lessons from community engagement in previous public health crises.