Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Jan 4;7(1):e1797.
doi: 10.1002/hsr2.1797. eCollection 2024 Jan.

Unlocking the potential of novel RTS, S/AS01, and R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccines in African nations

Malik Olatunde Oduoye  1 , Muhammad Usman Haider  2 , Mohammed Dheyaa Marsool Marsool  3 , Mayowa Odunayo Kareem  4 , Adenike Ebunoluwa Adedayo  5 , Abdulkarim Surajo Abdulkarim  6 , Abdullahi Adeyemi Adegoke  7 , Ikshwaki Kaushik  8 , Hamza Irfan  9 , Hassan Abdullahi Yusuf  6 , Hussain Haider Shah  10 , Karim Arif Karim  11
Affiliations

Unlocking the potential of novel RTS, S/AS01, and R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccines in African nations

Malik Olatunde Oduoye et al. Health Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Introduction: Mass malaria vaccination, rather than vaccinating only children below age 5, has been proven to have the potential to reduce morbidity and mortality among those vaccinated, both young and old. Addressing vaccine scepticism and misinformation is crucial in African nations to build public trust in malaria prevention. Therefore, including a wider range of demographics in vaccine trials is necessary for equitable representation and achieving herd immunity against malaria.

Aim: This present article aims to identify some of the obstacles that impede malaria vaccination usage and acceptability in African Nations in combating malaria in the region as it continues to pose a significant global public health problem.

Methodology: A literature search was done on the Malaria vaccine between 2000 and 2023. Past and present articles/studies on this topic were consulted on PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science using the following keywords; "Malaria," "Vaccines," "African Nations," "Obstacles, Strategies," and "Public Health."

Results: The recently approved RTS, S/AS01, and R21/Matrix-M™ Malaria vaccines have the potential to prevent numerous deaths and cases of Malaria in Africa. These vaccines Malaria vaccines are cost-effective in African areas with moderate to high plasmodium falciparum and can be delivered through routine immunization.

Conclusion: To combat malaria effectively in African Nations, African leaders need to set up a comprehensive approach that involves; prevention, healthcare access, implementation research strategies towards adoption and acceptance of malaria vaccines in Africa as well as community engagement with the religious leaders, the market women, community heads, schools, as well as students' union towards the willingness and acceptability of the malaria vaccines among the African populations.

Keywords: African Nations; malaria; obstacles; public health; strategies; vaccines.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. World Malaria Report 2022 . 2022. Available from [Internet]. Accessed October 22, 2023. https://www.who.int/teams/global-malaria-programme/reports/world-malaria...
    1. Gelband H, Carshon‐Marsh R, Ansumana R, et al. Could vaccinating adults against malaria materially reduce adult mortality in high‐transmission areas? Malar J. 2023;22:278. 10.1186/s12936-023-04714-z - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gelband H, Bogoch II, Rodriguez PS, et al. Is malaria an important cause of death among adults? Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020;103:41‐47. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Jenkins R, Omollo R, Ongecha M, et al. Prevalence of malaria parasites in adults and its determinants in malaria endemic area of Kisumu County, Kenya. Malar J. 2015;14:263. 10.1186/s12936-015-0781-5 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Weiss DJ, Lucas TCD, Nguyen M, et al. Mapping the global prevalence, incidence, and mortality of Plasmodium falciparum, 2000–17: a spatial and temporal modelling study. The Lancet. 2019;394(10195):322‐331. Available from: 10.1016/s0140-6736(19)31097-9 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources