Acceptance of RTS,S malaria vaccine in Nigeria 2023

In a study conducted in Nigeria in 2023, 87 percent of respondents reported their willingness to be vaccinated using the RTS,S malaria vaccine. On the other hand, 13 percent of the respondents refused to be given the same vaccine. RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) is the world's first malaria vaccine and the first approved vaccine against human parasitic diseases. This vaccine decreases the odds of a child contracting malaria, including extreme and life-threatening ones, consequently reducing child deaths.

Malaria incidences in Nigeria are high

Nigeria bears a substantial malaria burden, with the country accounting for approximately 27 percent of the global malaria cases. In 2022, an estimated 23 million people in Nigeria were diagnosed with malaria, making it the country with the second-highest number of malaria cases in Africa. The perception of the seriousness of malaria among the public in the country is high as it remains a critical public health issue. As of 2023, the most popular preventive measures, such as sleeping inside mosquito-treated nets and routine insecticide spraying, were unevenly implemented across regions in the country. Roughly 40 to 50 percent of the population used at least one preventive measure in the said year.

Malaria mortality and treatment

In terms of mortality, Nigeria also leads globally, with 31 percent of all malaria deaths occurring within its borders. According to the World Health Organization, this translated to approximately 6,700 malaria-related deaths in the country in 2022. Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) was the most popularly known drug taken to treat malaria in Nigeria in 2023, despite slight differences in number based on age. Artemether was the second most common drug for people between 18 and 35 years old.