MSF responds to Gavi board approving investment in malaria vaccine rollout

The board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has just  approved an investment in the rollout of the RTS,S malaria vaccine, which was recommended for use by the World Health Organization in October 2021 for children from five months of age.

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it lauds Gavi’s commitment to investing in this vaccine, which, in combination with other proven malaria prevention tools, can save many more thousands of lives every year. There are, however, challenges with the vaccine’s ease of use in resource-limited settings, affordability and supply, which will require further efforts by Gavi and other partners to overcome, in order to achieve maximum benefit.

MSF tropical infectious diseases advisor Dr Saschveen Singh noted: “It’s good news that Gavi will invest in the rollout of the malaria vaccine, as malaria continues to be one of the most important killer diseases we deal with year in and year out in our medical programs. As many of the countries hardest hit by malaria are also those with the weakest health systems, we hope to see countries being prioritized for vaccine rollout based on their health needs and disease burden, not just on the current readiness of a country to administer the vaccines themselves.