ABOUT IMVACS

Malaria still causes over 600,000 deaths worldwide, annually, with children under the age of five years accounting for approximately 90% of all malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2023, major strides in preventing and controlling malaria were achieved with the prequalification of the new R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine.

R21/Matrix-M is highly effective, safe and well tolerated in children, however the WHO-recommended delivery strategy of this vaccine, adopted in many countries in the Sahel region and based on the Essential Programme on Immunization (EPI), may not be the best strategy in seasonal malaria transmission settings, characteristic of this Sub-Saharan Africa area.

Indeed, given the imperfect duration of protection of the vaccine, the strict EPI age-based schedule misses the opportunity to maximize its protective efficacy by delivering it during highest-risk periods.

The IMVACS project promotes a novel integrated delivery strategy of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine among children <5 years in areas with highly seasonal malaria transmission.