After its introduction, a year ago in the Extended Vaccination Program (PEV), the malaria vaccine has grown on the scale, covering all 113 health districts. An important step has just been taken in the fight against infant mortality.
One year after the introduction of the antimalarial vaccine in the Vaccination Program (PEV) in routine, this vaccination now extends to 75 other health districts.
Indeed, since July 15, 2025, the transition to the introduction of the antimalarial vaccine is effective, thus affecting the 113 health districts. At the time of the introduction in July 2024, Côte d’Ivoire, with the support of its partners had received a total of 656,600 doses of R21/Matrix-M. This initially made it possible to vaccinate 250,000 children aged 0 to 23 months in 38 health districts. The cost of introducing the antimalarial vaccine into the PEV is estimated at 3,565,634 977 FCFA. Côte d’Ivoire is one of the first countries in Africa to benefit from these vaccines.
The vaccination campaign which was launched, as part of the scale passage on July 15 in N’Zianouan, targets 420,000 children from 0 to 23 months. The vaccine calendar provides four doses at 6 months, 8 months, 9 months and 15 months. “The vaccine with an efficiency of 98 % was able to protect effectively and save 25 to 30 % of children who died from this infection,” said PEV coordinator, Raymond Gbotto Brou, in an interview with the CICG. And by combining their efforts, the National Program for the Fight against Malaria (PNLP) and the extended vaccination program aim to reduce the incidence and mortality by 2026. With these vaccines, the country was able to strengthen its arsenal of struggle for the elimination of malaria.
According to the PNLP, “in 2023, the incidence of the disease was 269 per 1000 inhabitants in the general population, but reached 992 per 1000 in children under 5 years of age. This category represents more than 70 % of the deaths linked to malaria, about 3 children who die every day from this avoidable disease ”. Malaria remains the leading cause of infant mortality in Côte d’Ivoire.
In mid-July 2025, 650,000 children have been vaccinated since the introduction of the vaccine.
“This vaccine aims to take up the challenge of reducing the death cases of children under the age of 5,” said the Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, Pierre Dimba who called on parents to go to health centers to have children vaccinate. The antimalarial vaccine is free.
“The vaccine is an additional tool in our arsenal. He does not replace the mosquito nets or the treatments but comes to complete them, “said the Minister of Health.
In Côte d’Ivoire, malaria is still a public health problem. It remains the first reason for consultation in the country. Out of 100 cases that go to consultation, 33 people are there for malaria. In 2023, 1485 cases of death were linked to malaria, or five deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
The fight against malaria in Côte d’Ivoire combines the efficiency of care in health centers and prevention.
The preventive policy is also based on the anti -actoral struggle, through the distribution of mosquito nets impregnated with long -term insecticides (MILDA).
In addition to the distribution of mosquito nets, we also note the intra domiciliary insecticide spraying in the most endemic areas. A proven technique in several African countries.
Transmitted by mosquitoes, malaria is endemic in 96 other countries around the world.
Côte d’Ivoire maintains the course on its objective of eradicating malaria by 2030.
Kitty
