On World Malaria Day a queue of mothers and infants snaked toward the vaccination room of a community clinic outside Bamako, marking the first time Mali has offered its children a shot against the parasite that claims thousands of young lives each year. The Ministry of Health’s launch of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine makes Mali the twentieth country in Africa to add a malaria jab to its routine immunisation schedule, but—crucially—the first anywhere to do so with a “hybrid” delivery plan that blends age-based and seasonal dosing.
Under the new approach, children aged five to 36 months will receive three monthly injections linked to age, after which they will be called back for a fourth and fifth dose each May or June, just before the July-to-December peak in malaria transmission. Health officials say this timing is designed to align the window of peak vaccine protection with the moment mosquitoes begin to proliferate, a strategy backed by local research showing that seasonal administration can maximise impact.
The need is pressing. According to figures quoted from the 2024 World Malaria Report, Mali endured an estimated 8.15 million cases—3.1 percent of the global total—and 14 328 deaths, or 2.4 percent of worldwide mortality, in 2023. The country is also among eight where caseloads have climbed since 2019, reversing earlier gains and reinforcing its place on the World Health Organization’s list of eleven nations with the heaviest malaria burden.
Colonel Assa Badiallo Touré, Mali’s Minister of Health and Social Development, applauded “the immense efforts by all stakeholders” and singled out Malian researchers for the clinical-trial work that helped lead WHO to recommend both the older RTS,S vaccine and the newer R21 formulation. She cautioned, however, that successful nationwide introduction will demand sustained commitment from every partner “until we have taken it to scale.”
Those partners include Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which is financing procurement, transport and early implementation and which operates a co-financing model that will gradually shift more of the cost to the Malian treasury as the economy grows. Speaking from Geneva, Gavi Chief Executive Dr Sania Nishtar welcomed Mali’s resolve to “significantly reduce the devastating impact of malaria” but warned that the broader continental programme sits at a critical juncture as Gavi seeks fresh funds for the 2026–2030 period.
UNICEF, responsible for in-country distribution and community engagement, emphasised the milestone that the day represents after thirty-five years of vaccine research and development. Its Mali Representative, Dr Pierre Ngom, said young volunteers would use digital chatbots and other tools to ensure parents understand that the new vaccine is meant to complement, not replace, existing malaria measures such as insecticide-treated nets and seasonal chemoprevention.
WHO, for its part, underlined the evidence supporting vaccination. Between 2019 and 2023, more than two million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi received the RTS,S vaccine through a pilot programme, an experience that produced a 13 percent drop in child mortality in the eligible age groups and paved the way for today’s dual-vaccine recommendation. Dr Patrick Kabore, WHO Representative in Mali, called the vaccine “one of the most consequential breakthroughs in public health in recent times” but echoed UNICEF’s reminder that bed nets, intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy, indoor spraying and rapid case management remain essential.
For now, Mali’s R21/Matrix-M launch covers nineteen districts across five regions—Kayes, Koulikoro, Mopti, Ségou and Sikasso—with an initial stock of 927 800 doses. Officials say the phased roll-out will allow health workers to test the hybrid schedule, fine-tune logistics and build caregiver confidence before expansion to the rest of the country.