UNICEF and Gavi Secure 40% Price Reduction for RTS,S Malaria Vaccine

UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, announced an agreement on 22 October 2026 to reduce the price of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine by approximately 40 per cent. The arrangement is projected to save an estimated US$50 million between 2027 and 2029, potentially enabling up to one million additional children to receive the complete four-dose immunization series.

Enabled by advance financing from the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm), the agreement lowers the vaccine cost to EUR 5.50 per dose. The reduced pricing is anticipated to take effect by early 2027, contingent upon regulatory and manufacturing milestones, including World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification of a new production facility.

The cost reduction follows the transfer of vaccine production to a manufacturer based in a developing country, aimed at expanding supply capacity and fostering market competition. Since global rollouts began in 2024, UNICEF has procured and delivered more than 74 million malaria vaccine doses. Routine immunization using the Gavi-supported programme is currently operational in 25 African countries, which collectively represent more than 70 per cent of the global malaria burden.

According to global health data cited in the announcement, malaria causes nearly half a million childhood deaths annually, with one child dying every minute. In 2024, an estimated 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths were recorded globally, with roughly 95 per cent occurring in Africa. Children under the age of five accounted for approximately 74 per cent of those deaths.

Health agencies note that when administered seasonally in areas with high transmission rates, a four-dose regimen of the vaccine reduces malaria cases by about 75 per cent. Expanding vaccine access remains part of a broader strategy alongside other interventions, including insecticide-treated bed nets, vector control, chemoprevention, and prompt medical diagnosis and treatment.

Source