NIGERIA. Ogbia. December 19, 2024.
Street scene in Onuegbu community (Bayelsa State).
In a historic step in the fight against malaria in Nigeria, one million doses of R21 vaccine were delivered in a national government action made possible thanks to the combined efforts of Gavi, the Vaccine alliance, which supported the cost of the vaccines, transport and admnistration, and UNICEF and WHO, which managed the procurement and shipment. The vaccination campaign aligns with Nigeria's National Malaria Elminiation Program, which aims to "reduce mortality attributable to malaria to less than 50 deaths per 1,000 livebirths in 2025," according to the government website. As Africa's most populated country, Nigeria shares the highest global malaria burden (27%), with 31% of malaria deaths worldwide. Children under five years old and pregnant women are the most affected by the desease.

Located in the southern region of Nigeria, Bayelsa is one of 24 out of 36 Nigerian states that have experienced an increase in malaria cases since 2010, with an estimated 673,000 cases in 2021, 1.0% of Nigeria's malaria cases, according to WHO Report on malaria in Nigeria.