Context:

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and UNICEF have recently announced a historic agreement to make the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine more accessible and affordable, paving the way to protect millions of children from this deadly disease.

Key Features of the Deal:

1.      Price Reduction

o    Under the new agreement, the R21/Matrix‑M malaria vaccine price will be lowered from around US$ 4 to US$ 2.99 per dose, to take effect in roughly one year.

o    This reduction is expected to generate up to US$ 90 million in savings for Gavi and participating countries over the next years.

2.      Increased Supply & Coverage

o    The savings from the price cut will fund about 30 million additional doses over a five-year period.

3.     Market Shaping and Long-Term Strategy

o    The deal reflects a commitment by Gavi and UNICEF to shape a sustainable and competitive malaria vaccine market, not just a short-term transactional agreement.

o    It aligns with Gavi’s strategic goal to fully vaccinate 50 million more children against malaria by 2030.

Significance & Implications:

·        Equitable Access: Reducing the cost of the vaccine makes it more affordable for high-burden, low-income countries. This is critical because many countries struggle with limited health budgets.

·        Health Systems Strengthening: Additional doses mean greater reach and potentially integration of malaria vaccination into national immunization systems.

·        Global Health Diplomacy: The deal is a strong example of multilateral cooperation: a global alliance (Gavi), a UN agency (UNICEF), a manufacturer (Serum Institute), and a financing mechanism (IFFIm) working together to advance public health.

About Malaria:

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is predominantly found in tropical and subtropical regions. Malaria is preventable and curable, yet remains a major public health challenge.

Causative Agents:

Five Plasmodium species infect humans:

1.      P. falciparum – deadliest, most prevalent in Africa.

2.      P. vivax – dominant outside sub-Saharan Africa.

3.     P. malariae

4.     P. ovale

5.     P. knowlesi

Disease Burden:

·         Global prevalence: 263 million cases in 2023, up from 252 million in 2022.

·         Deaths: ~597,000 in 2023, 76% among children under five in Africa.

·         Four countries account for over half of deaths: Nigeria, DRC, Niger, and Tanzania.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified two vaccines:

1.       R21/Matrix-M – co-developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, using Novavax’s Matrix-M adjuvant.

2.      RTS,S/AS01 – developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), PATH, and partners.