By Sandra Chebet
In a decisive move to combat malaria, the Ugandan government has made it mandatory for all six-month-old babies to receive the malaria vaccine, a policy aimed at reducing the high burden of the disease among young children.
The announcement was made recently by Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, minister of Health, as she flagged off the distribution of 2.2 million doses to 105 districts across the country. Malaria remains the leading cause of illness and death among children under five in Uganda, with Unicef reporting that the disease claims approximately 20,000 young lives annually.
It accounts for 30 to 50 per cent of all outpatient visits, 15 to 20 per cent of hospital admissions, and up to 20 per cent of inpatient deaths. Uganda ranks third globally in malaria cases, behind Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and eighth in malaria-related deaths.
The nationwide vaccination campaign will begin in April, with Apac District—which has the highest malaria prevalence in the country—as the starting point. The vaccine will be administered in four doses: at six months, seven months, eight months, and the final booster at 18 months.
“Malaria remains one of the leading causes of illness and death, particularly among children under five and pregnant women. Every day, we lose 16 people to malaria, and of these, 10 are children under five years old. This is unacceptable. We reaffirm our commitment to reversing this trend,” Dr Aceng said.
Uganda joins global malaria vaccine rollout
The introduction of the ARRA 21 malaria vaccine marks a major milestone in Uganda’s fight against the disease. Uganda has become the 19th country globally to introduce the vaccine and is undertaking the largest rollout in the world.
It now joins Kenya, Ghana and Malawi, where more than two million children have already been vaccinated. The vaccination program is being implemented in partnership with Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, which has secured 2,278,000 doses at a cost of $8,884,200 (Shs 32.6 billion) in collaboration with the Ugandan government.
Dr Aceng emphasized that the vaccine is safe, effective and free of charge, urging parents to ensure their children receive all four doses to maximize protection.
“No parent should pay for the malaria vaccine, whether it’s the first, second, third, or fourth dose. By ensuring that our children receive all four doses, we are significantly reducing malaria-related deaths while also protecting families from financial burdens that push them into poverty,” she said.
Experts welcome the initiative
Dr Robin Nandy, Unicef’s representative in Uganda, commended the government’s decision, stating that the vaccine will complement, but not replace, existing malaria prevention measures such as mosquito nets and insecticide spraying.
“Uganda has made remarkable progress in combating vaccine-preventable diseases like polio, measles, hepatitis, meningitis, pneumonia and diarrhoea. These efforts have been instrumental in safeguarding children’s lives and enabling them to grow and thrive,” Dr Nandy said.
Billie Nieuwenhuys, senior country manager for Uganda at Gavi, also praised Uganda’s commitment to tackling malaria.
“The world’s largest malaria vaccine introduction is a testament to the Ugandan government’s dedication to protecting the most vulnerable children. This initiative will save tens of thousands of lives annually while reducing the economic and health burden of malaria across Uganda and the African continent,” Nieuwenhuys said.
The ministry of Health has urged all parents to ensure their children complete the four-dose vaccination schedule, emphasizing that this will significantly lower malaria-related deaths. Alongside vaccination, the government remains committed to strengthening other malaria prevention efforts to achieve a malaria-free Uganda.
