Nigeria and other African nations would have access to the recently produced malaria vaccine by the first quarter of 2022, according to a Friday announcement made by the Assembly of Health Ministers of the ECOWAS region.

At the 22nd ordinary session of the health ministers in Abuja on Friday, Dr. Kweku Agyeman-Manu, the chairman of the assembly and Ghana’s health minister, revealed this to the media.

Agyeman-Manu stated that nations such as Nigeria would assist the West African region in obtaining the vaccine.

“We anticipate that the vaccine will be approved, and as early as the first quarter of next year, the rollout will start in Africa,” he stated.

We have been conducting our own malaria research for African nations, particularly those in the West African sub-region. For a while now, we have been receiving supplies and assistance to combat malaria. We hope to develop a vaccine that will enable us to eradicate malaria entirely by 2030, and happily, we are getting close to that goal right now.

“Now, the question is, how are we going to get the shots? The countries will provide the resources. Additionally, certain nations like Nigeria (among others) will need to allocate funds from their budgets.

“GAVI will continue to support us in order to support procurement.” Our goal is to enable vaccine facilities in Africa to generate malaria vaccines as well. WAHO has already identified a few nations.

“Some of these countries that are leading in the manufacturing of vaccines, not just for malaria but also for other diseases, are Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria.”

In the meanwhile, the United Nations International Children’s Fund, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have announced a $150 million financial guarantee to support UNICEF in purchasing vaccines and other health-related goods for low- and middle-income nations.

Effective until 2025, the funding is anticipated to support national immunization initiatives, such as the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, and allow for the prompt acquisition of vital medical supplies while domestic funding is raised.

In order to secure access to reasonably priced essential health supplies for both routine needs and emergency response, many low- and middle-income countries rely on UNICEF’s procurement services, according to a statement released on Friday under the title “Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and UNICEF announce $150m guarantee to support access to vaccines and health supplies in low- and middle-income countries.”

According to a remark, Chris Elias, the president of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Development Division, stated that the world could not have a system where resources essential for enhancing the health of everyone were auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Etleva Kadilli, the director of UNICEF’s Supply Division, stated that the pandemic had unequivocally demonstrated the negative effects of unequal access to healthcare and essential medical supplies, including as vaccines, on everyone.

It is crucial that basic health supplies continue and are scaled up to reach populations who have been left out, even with the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, according to a remark from Kadilli.