1. Context
• Gavi + UNICEF sign deal to make R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine cheaper and widely accessible.
• Expected savings: $90 million; vaccination for ~7 million children.
• Price to drop to $2.99 per dose.
2. Malaria
Cause:
• Plasmodium parasite (P. falciparum most lethal).
Transmission:
• Bite of infected female Anopheles mosquito.
Disease:
• Fever, chills, anaemia; severe cases → organ failure, death.
• Major burden in sub-Saharan Africa.
3. Gavi – The Vaccine Alliance (Crisp)
• Global public–private vaccine partnership (est. 2000).
• Expands immunisation in low-income nations.
• Partners: WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, governments, Gates Foundation.
• Key driver of vaccine access in the Global South.
4. Malaria Vaccines Mentioned
1. R21/Matrix-M
• Developed by Oxford + Serum Institute of India.
• Cheaper, scalable; main vaccine in new deal.
2. RTS,S/AS01
• Developed by GSK + PATH.
• First malaria vaccine (approved 2021).
• Moderate efficacy; used in several African nations.
