Ministry of Health Freetown, Sierra Leone. 
Baby Zainab Conteh receives the first jab on World Malaria Day as President Bio officially launched the WHO approved malaria vaccine, the RTS,S.
Although Sierra Leone has made tremendous progress when it comes to improvement in care and reduction in maternal deaths, the same cannot be said of child health. The country’s under-five mortality rate currently stands at 105 per 1,000 live births with over 27,000 under-five deaths reported in 2021 alone. This means that Sierra Leone is off track when it comes to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Target of 25 or fewer deaths per 1,000 live births.
A leading contributor to this healthcare challenge for children is malaria. This preventable disease is the leading cause of morbidity with over 2 million hospital consultations annually and 1 million of these cases are reported among children under five years. Malaria accounts for about 25% of all child deaths putting the disease burden in Sierra Leone among the highest in the World.
But, a major breakthrough against this disease is underway in Sierra Leone. On this year’s World Malaria Day (25th April), the President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, launched the first WHO approved malaria vaccine, the RTS,S. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, funded the project with $USD5.5 million after its board approved 1.7 million doses for Sierra Leone between 2024 and 2025. The UN’s children’s agency, UNICEF, did the procurement. About 550,000 doses of the first shipment was received in December last year by the Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby. Minister Demby shared his excitement at the time.
“With this new and efficacious vaccine, we now have an additional tool to fight against this disease. In addition to insecticide treated nets, effective diagnosis and treatment and indoor spraying, no child should die of malaria infection.”
President Bio reinforced the same message of “no child dying of malaria,” praising what he described as “excellent collaboration” with international partners in helping the country secure these new drugs and turn a new page in the battle against malaria. According to the president, the vaccine rollout will transform the healthcare narratives for under-five children in a significant way.
President Bio carries baby Zainab Conteh after she received the first jab of the malaria vaccine.
The Deputy Minister of Health 2, Dr. Jalikatu Mustapha, praised the president for his unflinching support to the Ministry of Health (MoH) and for officially launching the malaria vaccine. According to Dr. Mustapha, the vaccine has been certified by the World Health Organization, WHO, as safe for administration to children from 6 to 23 months.
She said; “Sierra Leone has one of the highest vaccination records in the world and therefore, we are confident that every eligible child will receive this vaccine.”
Deputy Minister of Health 2, Dr. Jalikatu Mustapha making her opening address as Chairperson of the official malaria vaccine launch.
It must be said though that the new malaria vaccine may not stop children from contracting malaria, but it will prevent them from getting the severe form of the disease, which is what kills them. The vaccine will serve as a supplement to the existing malaria intervention efforts including insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying and effective diagnosis and treatment.
A nurse prepares the first dose of the malaria vaccine to be given to a child in Sierra Leone. It means that Sierra Leone has now joined the few Africa countries administering the vaccine to their populations.
Also, the Ministry of Health is currently on a nationwide campaign to distribute about 5.4 million bed nets using a digital registration system for the first time.
President Bio’s launch of the vaccine on World Malaria Day meant that Sierra Leone has now joined others like Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Cameroon, on the African continent, in rolling this preventative measure against malaria all aimed at scaling up efforts to address the disease burden in Africa. An additional 19 African countries are scheduled to launch the malaria vaccine later this year.