The agencies confirmed the deal on Sunday, saying it will significantly accelerate access to one of the continent’s most important health interventions.
Under the arrangement, the price of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine will fall to $2.99 per dose within a year, a reduction expected to save up to $90 million. Officials say those savings will allow countries to secure more than 30 million extra doses over the next five years.
Gavi’s Chief Vaccine Programmes & Markets Officer, An Vermeersch, said the breakthrough reflects the alliance’s core mission. “We are leveraging innovative financing and partnerships to secure affordable vaccines that can better protect children against one of Africa’s biggest killers.”
Malaria caused an estimated 597 000 deaths in 2023, most of them young children in Africa. A child dies from the disease roughly every minute.
UNICEF’s Supply Division Director, Leila Pakkala, said the scale of the crisis demands urgent and sustained action. “At a time of declining international aid, UNICEF is determined to work with partners to deliver enough vaccines at the best possible price to protect children.”
The price reduction was made possible through an advance payment by the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm), which converts long-term donor pledges into immediate funds, allowing Gavi to act quickly when market-shaping opportunities arise. IFFIm Board Chair, Ken Lay, said the approach is crucial to driving expansion. “This agreement shows how financial innovation can unlock opportunities that save lives.”
More than 40 million malaria vaccine doses have already been delivered through Gavi-supported programmes, with 24 African countries now integrating malaria vaccination into routine immunisation. Demand continues to rise, with 14 countries introducing the vaccine for the first time last year and another seven following in 2025.
The reduced price is expected to help Gavi move closer to its goal of fully vaccinating 50 million additional children against malaria by 2030. Both World Health Organisation-recommended vaccines, R21/Matrix-M and RTS, S have been shown to reduce malaria cases by more than half in the first year after vaccination, with additional protection after a booster dose.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
