DRC receives first doses of malaria vaccine, a milestone moment in protecting children against a deadly disease

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 14 June 2024 – In a critical step forward in the fight against malaria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today received 693,500 doses of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine.

Between now and yearend, the new vaccine will be used to protect children aged between 6 months and 23 months against malaria in all 26 provinces of the country. DRC is the 12^th country to receive the new malaria vaccines. Malaria is the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 years old in DRC, according to the World Health Organization.

A pilot malaria vaccine programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi reached over 2 million children from 2019 to 2023. The programme showed the vaccines to both safe and effective, with a significant drop in the number of cases, a 13 percent drop in overall child morality, and a 22 pe cent reduction in hospital admissions for severe malaria.   

UNICEF and other partners including the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, PATH, a global health organization, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) are all supporting the DRC to introduce and scale up malaria vaccine across the country.

The new malaria vaccine is the result of decades of research, vaccine development and cooperation between the public and private sectors. African researchers have been at the forefront of the development of this vaccine.

The vaccination roll out is as follows:

• Stage 1 starting in August 2024: Central Kongo, Kinshasa, Kwango, Kwilu, North Ubangi, South-Ubangi, Tshuapa, Equateur, Mongala and Mai-Ndombe
• Stage 2 starting in October 2024: Kasai, Kasai Oriental, Kasai Central, Sankuru, Lomami, Haut-Lomami, Tanganyika, Lualaba, Maniema and Haut-Katanga.
• Stage 3 starting in December 2024: Tshopo, Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.