The Ministry of Health has announced the introduction of the Malaria Vaccine (R21) into the routine immunization schedule.
This initiative aims to protect children under five from severe malaria and its potentially fatal consequences. The vaccine will be administered to infants between 6 to 18 months old.
On March 7, 2025, the country received its first shipment of 2.278 million doses (out of a total of 3.5 million doses) of the malaria vaccine.
These doses were distributed across 107 districts with high and moderate transmission rates of malaria in Uganda. This effort is made possible with the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, alongside co-financing from the Government of Uganda.
UNICEF handled the procurement and airfreight of the vaccines, ensuring their timely and safe delivery.
Dr. Ruth Aceng, Uganda’s Minister of Health, while addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre on March 28, 2025, emphasized that the initial focus would be on the 107 districts with higher rates of malaria transmission.
The vaccine rollout is expected to reach over 1.1 million children under the age of 2.
Aceng also mentioned that as more vaccine doses become available, the program will expand to cover additional districts.
The vaccine will be provided free of charge and will be integrated with other existing malaria prevention measures, including insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying, seasonal and perennial malaria chemoprevention, and environmental control efforts.
“The Ministry of Health wishes to update the general public on the significant milestone in our fight against malaria: the introduction of the malaria vaccine into Uganda’s routine immunization schedule. This initiative marks a critical step in our broader malaria prevention strategy, aligning with our commitment to reducing the malaria burden in our country,” she added.
The Malaria Vaccine will be administered intramuscularly by trained healthcare workers according to a four-dose schedule to ensure full protection. The doses are given at 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, and 18 months.
As with other vaccines, children who miss their initial doses will still be able to receive the vaccine.
However, the Minister encourages caregivers to ensure timely vaccination for optimal benefits.
Common side effects of the vaccine include pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, as well as fever.
Dr. Ruth Aceng announced that the official launch of the Malaria Vaccine into the routine immunization schedule will take place on April 2, 2025, at Booma Grounds in Apac District.
The event will be officiated by His Excellency, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
“I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to parents and caregivers to embrace the Malaria vaccine. Please ensure that the children aged 6 months receive all the doses of the Malaria vaccine to ensure optimum protection,” she noted.
She emphasized that they should ensure that all children receive their vaccinations in a timely manner to protect them from vaccine preventable diseases.
“Vaccines are safe, efficacious, effective and provided free of charge in our health facilities,” she added.
Aceng commended government for this lifesaving initiative and is partners, GAVI, UNICEF, WHO, PATH, CHAI and other partners who continue to support the sector in its fight against Malaria.
Malaria burden in Uganda
Malaria remains one of the most pressing public health challenges in Uganda, with our country among the 11 nations contributing to 70% of the global malaria burden. In 2024 alone, Uganda recorded over 10.9 million malaria cases, resulting in 3,582 deaths.
According to the World Malaria Report 2023, Uganda ranks as the third-highest contributor of malaria cases globally and the seventh highest in malaria-related deaths. With our entire population of approximately 45.9 million people at risk, malaria continues to exert a heavy toll on our health system and economy.
Every day, 16 lives are lost due to malaria, with 10 of these being children under five years old. Statistics indicate that malaria accounts for: 30-40% of outpatient consultations, 20% of hospital admissions, and 10% of all hospital deaths.
Aceng said the most vulnerable are; pregnant women, young children, especially those under 5-years’ old, individuals with sickle cell disease, persons with immunosuppressive conditions, and non-immune travelers.
Following the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation for countries with moderate to high malaria transmission to include malaria vaccination into their strategic plans as a preventive tool, Aceng noted that the Uganda Malaria Reduction and Elimination Strategic Plan (UMRESP2021-2025) now includes malaria vaccination under the objective of prevention.
Uganda established a comprehensive immunization program in 1962; however, the Uganda National Expanded Program for Immunization began in 1983 with just six vaccines.
Over the past 40 years, the portfolio has grown to 14 vaccines including the malaria vaccine, this year. The vaccine preventable diseases in our routine immunization schedule are; Polio, Tuberculosis, Tetanus, Whooping Cough, Diphtheria, Measles, Haemophilus influenza type B, Pneumonia, Rubella, Yellow Fever, Hepatitis B, Diarrhea, Cancer of the Cervix, and Malaria.
Aceng stressed that it is important to note that; Uganda’s investment in childhood immunization has contributed to broader goals beyond the health sector by: strengthening children’s ability to fight diseases, reducing financial strain on parents, enhancing school enrolment and retention rates, and reduced fertility rate from 12 children per woman to 5.2 improved life expectancy from 43 years to 68.2 years
“Over the past two decades, we have seen a remarkable decline in under-five mortality, from 151 to 52 per 1,000 live births, and infant mortality, from 88 to 36 per 1,000 live births. Reduced fertility rate since children are living longer, hence more focus on bringing up quality families,” she noted.
Malaria vaccine
The malaria vaccine is a product of decades of research, global health investment, and public-private partnerships. African researchers have been at the forefront of its development.
In 2022, WHO prequalified RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) as the first malaria vaccine shown to provide protection against severe malaria in young children. This was introduced into the national immunization programs in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi and administered to young children.
In 2023, WHO prequalified R21/Matrix-M (R21) for the prevention of severe malaria and mortality in children under five years old.
