10 million potential doses will go unordered and unused in 2024. African nations must demonstrate demand for the lifesaving R21 vaccine.
LUSAKA — 1Day Africa is releasing its latest comprehensive report on the status of the R21 vaccine rollout. The report highlights the consequences of the shortfall in ordered doses, what can still be done to accelerate the vaccine’s deployment, and what role African nations and Western funders must play to maximize the vaccine’s impact.
The R21 vaccine has rightfully been heralded as a major step forward in the fight against malaria. It is safe, effective, and compared to the only other malaria vaccine, much cheaper and easier to produce.
The vaccine’s manufacturer, the Serum Institute of India, previously stated it can produce 120 million doses in 2024. Only recently did public reporting reveal the number of doses actually ordered by UNICEF — just 10 million. The 110 million dose gap is disturbing: it’s enough to save the lives of over 200,000 children, based on modeling of the vaccine published this month.
International institutions like UNICEF must react to anticipated demand from countries in Africa that would deploy the vaccine. Thus, African nations must act quickly to submit applications for R21 doses and show that there is indeed a need and desire for the vaccine.
Professor Oyewale Tomori of Nigeria: “Malaria is not a priority for developed nations because their citizens are not being killed by it. African nations (that carry a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden), must take the initiative and push for rapid R21 rollout.”
Professor Alassane Dicko of Mali, one of the leaders of the phase III trial confirming R21’s efficacy, states: “While Western funders may not see malaria as urgent, it is a serious threat, and the need for R21 doses is clearly more than the 10 million currently ordered.”
