‘With dis vaccine, my pikin no go get malaria again'

    • Author, Makuochi Okafor and Chigozie Ohaka
    • Role, BBC Africa Health Correspondent and Producer
    • Reporting from, Lagos
  • Read am in 3 mins

Nigeria, wey get di highest malaria death toll worldwide don begin roll out malaria vaccine for di first time.

Di kontri dey account for nearly one third of global malaria deaths annually.

Di vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, na di second one wey di World Health Organization (WHO) go approve, and dem dey administer am to children between five and 15 months.

Permanent Epiere, one young mother for Onuebum, Bayelsa State, south-south Nigeria, share her relief and hope wit BBC.

"Wen I lose my oda pikin, e pain me well-well. I no go like make e happun again," she tok.

Skip content and continue reading

End of content

Di rollout start for two of di hardest-hit states, Bayelsa and Kebbi, and plans dey ground to expand am nationwide by next year.

Epiere dey live for one rural community wey get swamps and stagnant waters - di correct breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

Bayelsa get some of Nigeria highest malaria cases.

"Now wey Delight [my son] don collect di vaccine, e no go get malaria anymore.

I dey veri happy to know say im future go dey malaria-free and bright. Notin go happun to am," Epiere tok afta she cross one river to vaccinate her newborn.

Na one parasite wey mosquitoes dey spread dey cause malaria. E dey mostly affect children and pregnant women.

E remain a leading cause of death for sub-Saharan Africa.

For 2022, Nigeria bin account for 27% of malaria cases and 31% of malaria deaths all ova di world.

Bayelsa Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, bin emphasise on community health campaigns to raise awareness about di vaccine for local languages.

"Di vaccine dey provide beta protection wen dem use am in combination wit oda measures," e tell BBC, as e encourage di continued use of nets plus insecticides.

Di vaccine dey 75% effective, but health experts advise make dem join am wit preventive tools like insecticide-treated nets and environmental management.

Dr. Walter Mulombo, WHO representative for Nigeria, express optimism:

"We dey confident say dis vaccine, plus oda preventive measures, go drastically reduce di wahala of malaria for Nigeria and help us move closer to achieve di goal of a malaria-free Africa."

Malaria cost Nigeria $1.1 billion annually in lost productivity and health expenses.

Di introduction of R21/Matrix-M offer hope to reduce dis burden and protect future generations.