Nigeria recently launched a malaria vaccination programme in a bid to reduce the burden of the mosquito-borne disease, which killed an estimated 200,000 people last year.
The vaccination programme is targeting young children, with the first dose given as early as five months of age. One of the first places to roll out the programme is the southern state of Bayelsa, which has one of the highest malaria rates in the country.
Mothers like Rebecca Godspower brought their six-month-old babies to a clinic to receive the vaccine after having treated their children for malaria several times before. Rebecca expressed relief: “Now that there is a malaria vaccine, I am happy, I am relieved that I don’t have to deal with this stress anymore.” »
A sentiment echoed by another mother, Esther Michael, who also visited the clinic: “I am happy to bring my child to the health centre for vaccination because we hear that malaria is killing other children.”
Infants, children under five, pregnant women and girls, travellers, people with HIV or AIDS are at increased risk of severe infection.
The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Health, Professor Seiyefa Brisibe, noted that malaria infection rates are high in the region, accounting for about 30% of deaths among children under five and also being a cause of adult absenteeism from work.
Despite the successes recorded in Bayelsa so far, the administration still has to deal with misconceptions and misinformation about vaccines, such as the belief that they cause infertility.
Anti-vaccine bias, fueled in particular by some religious leaders, permeates society and sometimes hinders vaccination efforts.
This malaria vaccination program in Nigeria thus represents a crucial step forward in the fight against this deadly disease, but it also highlights the persistent challenges related to educating and raising awareness among the population on the importance of vaccines for public health.