Malaria’s vaccine: Historic pricing deal accelerates deployment of highly effective R21 malaria vaccine across Africa
Geneva, Switzerland/Nairobi, Kenya/
GLOBAL HEALTH BREAKTHROUGH:
Gavi and UNICEF Seal Equitable $2.99 Per Dose Agreement for the 75% Efficacious R21/Matrix-M™, Paving the Way to Protect 7 Million More Children and Save Half a Million Lives by 2035
The global fight against malaria, a disease that claims the lives of over 600,000 people annually—predominantly young children in Africa—has received a monumental boost.
The announcement of a Historic Pricing Deal Accelerates Deployment of Highly Effective R21 Malaria Vaccine Across Africa, transforming a scientific breakthrough into a tangible public health reality.
On November 24, 2025, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and UNICEF finalized a new agreement that slashes the cost of the R21/Matrix-M™ vaccine, making it significantly more accessible and affordable to the 24 African countries currently integrating malaria vaccination into their routine immunization schedules.
The R21/Matrix-M™ vaccine, co-developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, represents a generational leap in infectious disease control. Clinical trials have confirmed its high efficacy, achieving a 75% protection rate against symptomatic malaria, making it the first vaccine to meet the World Health Organization’s ambitious target for malaria prevention.
The sheer scale of the malaria burden—with Africa accounting for over 94% of global cases—means that the availability of a high-efficacy vaccine is only half the battle; the other half is ensuring mass, affordable supply.
The $2.99 Per Dose Game Changer
The new agreement, financed in part by Gavi’s innovative financial mechanisms, sets the vaccine price at an equitable US$2.99 per dose.
This dramatic reduction from initial commercial pricing models is the critical intervention needed to secure large-scale purchase orders and ramp up delivery across the continent. The new deal is expected to take effect within the next year, paving the way to protect an additional 7 million more children by the end of the decade.
This development fundamentally changes the outlook for global malaria eradication. While the first recommended malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix), provided moderate protection and demonstrated proof of concept, its manufacturing capacity was limited.
The R21 vaccine, conversely, benefits from a commitment by the Serum Institute of India to produce over 100 million doses annually, resolving the long-standing bottleneck in supply.
The availability of two WHO-recommended vaccines—RTS,S and the higher-efficacy, high-volume R21—is now projected by the WHO to avert as many as half a million child deaths by 2035 if the scale-up is successful.
From Geneva Negotiation to Nairobi Delivery
The challenge now shifts from the negotiating rooms in Geneva, Switzerland, to the cold-chain logistics and routine immunization centers in countries from Nairobi, Kenya, to Ouagadougou.
As of November 2025, over 40 million doses of both approved malaria vaccines have been delivered to countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Côte d’Ivoire. The immediate priorities for this massive scale-up include:
Last-Mile Logistics:
Ensuring the delicate cold-chain requirements are met in rural and remote districts across Africa to maintain vaccine viability.
Health System Integration:
Successfully integrating the four-dose malaria vaccine schedule into already busy childhood immunization programmes without displacing other essential vaccines.
Addressing Drug Resistance:
Using the vaccine as a complementary tool alongside insecticide-treated bed nets and effective antimalarial treatments to combat the rising threat of drug resistance.
This Historic Pricing Deal signifies a victory for global collaboration, proving that targeted financial mechanisms can break down access barriers to life-saving technology.
The R21/Matrix-M™ is not just a vaccine;
it is a critical tool that finally puts the WHO’s goal of reducing malaria mortality by 90% by 2030 back into the realm of possibility, provided the massive financial and logistical commitment is sustained across the continent. The focus is now on the operational success of the rollout—the single greatest public health intervention in Africa this decade.
Headline Points
Pricing Deal Sealed:
Gavi and UNICEF announced a new, equitable price of $2.99 per dose for the highly effective R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine to accelerate deployment in Africa.
High Efficacy:
The R21 vaccine achieves 75% efficacy against clinical malaria, meeting the WHO’s key target and representing a major scientific breakthrough.
Mass Production:
The agreement enables the Serum Institute of India to proceed with its commitment to produce 100 million doses annually, resolving the global supply bottleneck.
Life-Saving Impact:
The two WHO-recommended malaria vaccines (RTS,S and R21) are projected to prevent up to half a million child deaths by 2035 if successfully scaled up.
Current Deployment:
Over 40 million doses have already been delivered to 24 African countries, with the new pricing deal aimed at protecting an additional 7 million children by the end of the decade.
