Mpanda — Led by the Ministry of Health and with the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Dalberg, Burundi has today introduced the lifesaving malaria vaccine into its routine immunization programme - a critical step towards reducing malaria cases and saving thousands of children's lives.
The launch event was held in Mpanda District, and attended by Burundi's First Lady, Her Excellency Angeline Ndayishimiye. Today's event follows the arrival of 544,000 doses of malaria vaccines in Burundi in January of this year, and the approval of the RTS,S malaria vaccine by ABREMA (Autorité Burundaise de Régulation des Médicaments à usage humain et des Aliments).Malaria remains a major public health concern in Burundi and one of the country's top health priorities. Malaria is endemic, with two annual peaks (April-May and June) resulting in high transmission levels in some districts. The latest data from the National Health Information System (SNIS) showed that malaria remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, with an incidence of 399.1 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2023. It is unacceptable that nearly half a million children under five dies from malaria each year in Africa, a reality that underscores the importance of this initiative in Burundi.
Data analysis revealed that malaria accounted for 20.9% of consultations in 2023 and 59.4% of hospital deaths in 2021. In Burundi, children under the age of five are the population category most vulnerable to malaria. Of the 4,857,556 malaria cases reported in 2023, children under five accounted for 2,235,481 cases, representing 46% of malaria morbidity. For this reason, as a key partner, UNICEF is committed to ensuring that every child, especially the most vulnerable, has access to this critical vaccine, alongside other essential health services, to give them a healthier start in life.
"Today marks a significant milestone as we introduce the malaria vaccine in Burundi. This initiative reflects our strong and unwavering commitment to malaria control by combining high-impact strategic interventions and our collective determination to protect our children's lives. By focusing on reducing malaria mortality in children under five, we are taking a critical step towards ensuring a healthier and brighter future for the next generation. This vaccine introduction also brings us closer to a future where no child is lost to this preventable disease. We are paving the way for a malaria-free Burundi," said Dr Lydwine Baradahana, Minister of Public Health and AIDS Prevention.
Commenting on the development, Mario Jimenez, the Senior Country Manager for Burundi at Gavi said that the introduction of the vaccine is a reflection of the country's commitment to public health: "Today, Burundi joins the list of 17 other countries on the African continent to have introduced malaria vaccine into routine immunization with Gavi support. Given the devastating impact of malaria, this is a development that will save thousands of young lives, offer relief to families and lessen the burden currently placed on the country's health system. Gavi is committed to working with Burundi and partners to ensure this introduction, along with all other routine immunization programmes in the country, are a success.
"Every child has the right to grow up healthy and protected from preventable diseases like malaria," said France Bégin, UNICEF Representative in Burundi. "The introduction of the malaria vaccine is a historic step, bringing new hope to families in Burundi. UNICEF is proud to support this effort by ensuring vaccine availability, strengthening cold chain systems, and engaging communities to increase awareness and acceptance of this life-saving intervention alongside the government's efforts."
"Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Burundi, especially among children. With the measures already taken by the government such as Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine chemoprevention, the distribution of impregnated mosquito nets and indoor spraying, and now the introduction of malaria vaccination in children aged 6 to 18 months as recommended by the WHO, Burundi is taking a decisive step in the fight against malaria. I would like to congratulate the Government and thank all the partners for their support," said WHO representative in Burundi Dr Xavier Crespin.
"The introduction of the malaria vaccine into routine immunization is a significant public health milestone for Burundi and a testament to the resilience, professionalism, and dedication of the Ministry of Health and health professionals across the country, who have worked tirelessly to ensure lifesaving interventions reach every community, especially the most vulnerable children. Evidence shows that this vaccine will significantly reduce malaria-related illness and death among children, marking a pivotal step in protecting Burundi's future generations. Dalberg is honored to have supported the Ministry of Health and the people of Burundi in achieving this milestone," said Lillian Kidane, Africa Director, Dalberg.
In readiness for the introduction, Gavi, UNICEF, WHO, Dalberg and other partners have also supported the Ministry of Health in preparing, accepting, and introducing the malaria vaccine. This support ranges from developing vaccine implementation plans and communication strategies to conducting health worker training and community engagement and ensuring sufficient cold chain capacity. This support included the use of innovative learning tools for training health workers, such as animated content and an offline app in the local language (Kirundi).
The vaccine has been shown to significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths caused by malaria, playing a complementary role in a broader strategy to combat the disease through a combination of interventions, including insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying, seasonal malaria chemoprevention, and effective case management. When the malaria vaccine is used alongside other proven malaria prevention strategies - such as insecticide-treated nets and seasonal malaria chemoprevention during periods of high transmission in the year, countries have the potential to reduce clinical malaria cases by more than 90% in areas with high seasonal transmission.
Notes to Editors
- So far, 18 countries have rolled out the malaria vaccine with Burundi as the latest addition to the list. Fourteen of these countries introduced the vaccines in 2024, including Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Benin, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, South Sudan, Mozambique, Central African Republic, Niger, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Nigeria.
- The other three - Ghana, Kenya and Malawi - introduced the first malaria vaccine, RTS,S in 2019 during the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP) and have since scaled up routine provision of the vaccine through Gavi support.
- In 2025, 6 to 8 countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia, Guinea, and Mali among others, plan to roll out the vaccine through Gavi's malaria vaccination programme
About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world's children against some of the world's deadliest diseases. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organisations that fund Gavi's work here.
Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a whole generation - over 1.1 billion children - and prevented more than 18.8 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 78 lower-income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology - from drones to biometrics - to save lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and X (Twitter).
About UNICEF Burundi
UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
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About WHO Burundi
In line with its mandate to provide member states with normative guidance on health policy, WHO has recommended the use of the malaria vaccines RTS, S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M, for the prevention of P. falciparum malaria, the world's most deadly malaria parasite, and the most prevalent in Africa, in children living in malaria-endemic areas, giving priority to areas of moderate or high transmission. Both malaria vaccines are safe and effective and have been prequalified by the WHO as having a strong impact according to recent studies. WHO, in collaboration with other partners Gavi and UNICEF, supported Burundi and played an important role in the introduction of the RTS, S vaccine, which was chosen by the country. During this introduction phase, which was launched officially on March 17, 2025, will target children aged 6 to 11 months. They will receive four doses, administered at 6 months, 7 months, 9 months, and 18 months. This intervention joins a combination of prevention strategies (use of insecticide-impregnated mosquito nets, indoor insecticide spraying, intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy (IPTp), preventive chemotherapy for children under 5), diagnosis and treatment recommended by the WHO, which are already in place in the country.
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About Dalberg
Dalberg is a global group of change-makers dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing challenges through systemic change. Guided by a vision of a sustainable planet with inclusive societies where all people can thrive, Dalberg works to build a more inclusive and sustainable world in which everyone can reach their fullest potential.
In line with this mission, Dalberg focuses on inclusive and sustainable development by collaborating with a wide array of partners worldwide.
The organization works closely with governments, businesses, civil society, and international agencies to address the root causes of poverty and inequity across sectors such as economic development, public health, education, and climate change. Through these partnerships, Dalberg provides an innovative mix of services across a broad range of development issues- designing solutions that drive systemic, long-term change for communities around the globe. Learn more at www.dalberg.com/ and connect with us on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).
