According to recent reporting by GAVI, while the country’s annual malaria death toll has declined over the past five years, the case count has risen, with 1.4 million more malaria infections reported in 2023 than in 2022.
Bordering both Benin and Niger in Nigeria’s northwest, the Kebbi state has the highest malaria prevalence in the country at 49% of young children and the highest mortality rate.
The state’s high malaria prevalence has been linked to several factors, including rice cultivation.
Since rice farming requires stagnant water, it is a perfect breeding ground for virus-carrying mosquitoes.
Ahmad Muhammad Sani, a public health expert in Kebbi State, told GAVI on April 7, 2025, that he believes the malaria vaccine will help significantly lower malaria morbidity and mortality, especially when combined with existing preventive measures like the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor insecticide spraying.
Sani also encouraged parents to complete the four vaccine doses to protect children against malaria outbreaks.
“Some possible challenges relating to the vaccine effectiveness in this region include factors like high malaria transmission rates. Hence, full vaccination coverage is crucial. Parents should be aware that incomplete vaccine doses offer partial protection,” he said.
As of April 14, 2025, most malaria cases in the United States are travel-related. Two malaria vaccines are offered in Africa but are unavailable in the U.S.
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