Rollout of malaria vaccine in Nigeria: lessons from other African countries

Abstract Nigeria remains a major contributor to the global malaria morbidity and mortality counts, with a devastating record of 200000 deaths in 2023. The introduction of the malaria vaccine into the routine immunisation schedule is therefore a significant effort in the fight against the disease. This commentary examines lessons from similar rollout processes in other countries and recommends how this insight can contribute to success in the Nigerian setting. The Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP) in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi highlights the need to continually engage community leaders and stakeholders to foster public acceptance of the vaccine. Also, health workers must be continually trained and rendered supportive supervision to help them handle difficulties in deciding the flexibility of the dosing schedule. To avoid low uptake of the 4th dose, effective communication with the caregivers and adjusting the schedule to the national context are key. The vaccine must also be utilised in synergy with other malaria control strategies and not as a single super tool. In Cameroon, which was the first country to introduce the vaccine outside the MVIP, outreach vaccination sessions were very instrumental in reaching the people and ensuring wide coverage. However, the immunisation staff were overtasked with vaccine administration and data reporting, which resulted in suboptimal data collection. Data collectors should therefore be employed for data collection purposes. The Nigerian government should leverage the experience of these countries with proper consideration of the national context for a successful implementation.