Malaria Vaccines Bring Hope to Children, Caregivers in Zambia
Highlights
- Mothers and health workers in Zambia are embracing the new malaria vaccine, seeing it as a vital way to protect young children from severe illness.
- Zambia has introduced the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine through its national immunization program, marking a major step in fighting malaria.
- Vaccination complements other key malaria prevention measures like distributing bed nets and early diagnosis — it is not intended to replace these strategies.
- UNICEF supports cold chain technician training and other improvements to Zambia’s health system, helping to strengthen immunization service delivery.
The launch of the malaria vaccine as part of Zambia's Expanded Program on Immunization marks a historic milestone in the country's fight against malaria. The mosquito-borne illness remains one of the leading causes of illness and death in Zambia and across Africa, particularly among children under age 5.
Chimwemwe Mawlelele of Mansa, Luapula province, Zambia, could not hide her excitement when she first heard the malaria vaccine was coming to her district.
“I feel bad when I see children who get sick because of malaria," says the 36-year-old wife and mother of three. "When a baby is sick, it is very difficult for them to take medication, so the introduction of the malaria vaccine is a welcome move to our community.”
As a trained primary school teacher, Mawlelele says she appreciated learning about the new vaccine from local health workers, who explained why it was important for mothers to get their babies vaccinated and gave them information they needed to prepare.
“I will encourage my fellow mothers to bring their babies for vaccination, so that their babies don’t get very sick with malaria," she says.
The launch of the malaria vaccine R21/Matrix-M as part of Zambia's Expanded Program on Immunization marks a historic milestone in the country's fight against malaria. The mosquito-borne illness remains one of the leading causes of illness and death in Zambia and all across Africa, particularly among children under age 5.
Learn about the significance of World Malaria Day
Zambia is the 24th country to introduce the malaria vaccine, and is in the process of integrating it into its routine immunization schedule for all children under age 5. More than 532,000 doses of the vaccine were received through UNICEF, with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for the rollout's first phase targeting 83 districts, including 79 with a high burden of malaria cases and four with a moderate burden. A second rollout phase planned for 2026 will cover the remaining five moderate-transmission districts.
The vaccine is administered in four doses, with the first dose recommended for babies at around six months old; the second dose at around seven months; the third dose at around eight months; and the fourth dose sometime between 18 and 23 months old.
Vaccination is not a replacement strategy. Other methods of malaria prevention — including insecticide-treated bed nets, rapid diagnosis and preventive care for pregnant women — remain critical for reducing and ultimately eliminating malaria altogether. Strengthened surveillance and community engagement are also needed to complement these other interventions.
The malaria vaccine rollout in Africa is one of the fastest in Gavi’s 25-year history, with two dozen countries introducing it into their routine immunization programs over two years (2023-2025). Through Gavi’s unique co-financing model, countries like Zambia are increasingly contribute to the cost of their immunization programs, including malaria, as their economies grow.
Meanwhile, Gavi, UNICEF and other partners are also helping to strengthen national immunization systems.
When systems fail, children miss out: Strengthening Zambia’s immunization system one technician at a time
Reliable cold chain systems form the backbone of immunization delivery, protecting millions of vaccine doses each year and ensuring services reach even the most remote communities. Without reliable cold chain systems, vaccines cannot be safely stored and children cannot be protected.
Lloyd Andrew, 42, is one of 126 district and provincial cold chain technicians in Zambia who recently completed advanced refrigeration and solar system maintenance training at Northern Technical College, forming part of a newly strengthened national technical workforce.
Before Andrew received the advanced training, he says he would have to call for a specialist when equipment failed, delaying services. "I would feel bad," he says. "You are seeing children growing up missing vaccines they are supposed to receive at the due time because there is no fridge that can accommodate them."
The training was offered as part of an ongoing initiative led by Ministry of Health Zambia, with financial support from Gavi and technical support from UNICEF Zambia, aiming to improve cold chain equipment across the country and otherwise move the entire system toward sustainability.
Plans include preventive and corrective maintenance of more than 800 cold chain units; the safe decommissioning of 400 obsolete units; and procurement and distribution of 130 maintenance toolkits to strengthen district-level response capacity, among other measures.
For Andrew, training marked a turning point. “When equipment has broken down, how do I troubleshoot it? How do I identify the defect before I start working on it? That is what I learned,” he says. With strengthened skills in refrigeration, solar systems and preventive maintenance, he can now take a more proactive approach, identifying faults early and restoring functionality more efficiently.
Andrew can also revisit and repair cold-chain equipment that can still be fixed. Restoring these systems will further help to strengthen immunization coverage, ensuring that children and mothers receive the vaccines they need at the right time. Reduced downtime means preserved vaccine potency and more reliable service delivery.
“Protecting vaccine potency is not only about improving and modernizing equipment," explains Dr. Saja Farooq Abdullah, UNICEF Representative to Zambia. "It is a matter of equity, trust in the health system and the survival of children."
Additional partner support is needed to strengthen training infrastructure, modernize laboratories, expand digital learning platforms and continue building the technical capacity needed to meet growing national and regional demand. Sustained collaboration and investment will be essential to ensure that every technician is equipped, every facility is functional, and every child is reached.
In Northwestern Province and beyond, each repair brings Zambia closer to a resilient immunization system and closer to protecting every child.
Learn about World Immunization Week 2026 and how UNICEF supports childhood vaccination worldwide
This story is based on two articles previously published by UNICEF Zambia
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