New Evidence Confirms Malaria Vaccine Is Saving Children’s Lives Across Africa

On 8 May 2026, the World Health Organization shared what it called “very solid evidence” that malaria vaccines are already changing the odds of survival for young children in Africa. Drawing on data from the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi between 2019 and 2023, an evaluation published in The Lancet found that roughly one in eight deaths among vaccine-eligible young children was prevented in areas where the shots were given.

The stakes are enormous. Malaria killed an estimated 438,000 African children in 2024 alone, and for decades it has been one of the leading causes of death for children under five on the continent. Two vaccines — RTS,S and the newer R21 — are now part of routine childhood immunisation in a growing number of countries, offering a tool that works alongside bed nets, spraying and prompt treatment rather than replacing them.

“Drawing on data from the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi between 2019 and 2023, an evaluation published in The Lancet found that roughly one in eight deaths among vaccine-eligible young children was prevented in areas where the shots were given.”

The rollout has been rapid. As of 2026, 25 African countries are offering malaria vaccines through their routine immunisation programmes, with more than 10 million children targeted each year. Beyond the direct protection against malaria, health officials note that bringing families in for the vaccine creates opportunities to deliver other essential services, from nutrition checks to additional immunisations.

“This is very solid evidence of the potential for malaria vaccines to change the trajectory of child mortality in Africa,” said Dr Kate O’Brien, WHO Director of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals. Challenges remain — funding pressures threaten to slow the expansion, and the vaccines are one layer of protection rather than a cure. But the message from the data is hopeful: a disease that has burdened Africa for generations is now being pushed back, one childhood vaccination at a time.