Senegalese health authorities have announced plans to include the malaria vaccine in the national immunisation programme from 2027, prioritising areas with the highest infection rates.

The coordinator of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation said Senegal is in a preparatory phase. The vaccine will not be rolled out nationwide immediately but will begin in five health districts as a first phase, focusing on the southeastern regions, which record the highest prevalence of the disease.

The move follows World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations endorsing the RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M vaccines to prevent malaria in children living in areas with moderate to high transmission.