Under the agreement, the price of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine will fall to $2.99 per dose within a year, a reduction that is expected to save up to $90 million. Those savings should allow countries to obtain more than 30 million additional doses over the next five years.
“Today's announcement is a powerful example of what our Vaccine Alliance does best,” said An Vermeersch, director of vaccine programs and markets at Gavi.
“We are leveraging innovative financing and partnerships to secure affordable vaccines that can better protect children against one of the leading causes of death in Africa.”
Almost 600,000 deaths in 2023
Malaria remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases. In 2023, it caused an estimated 597,000 deaths, the vast majority among young children in Africa. Approximately every minute a child dies from this disease.
“A devastating death toll like this demands action,” said Leila Pakkala, Director of UNICEF's Supply Division.
“At a time of declining international aid, UNICEF is determined to work with partners to deliver enough vaccines at the best possible price to protect children.”
The new pricing agreement was made possible by an advance payment through the International Financial Facility for Immunization (IFFIm), which converts long-term donor pledges into seed funds. This gives Gavi the ability to act quickly when important market-shaping opportunities arise.
Ambition for action
“IFFIm exists to turn ambition into action,” said Ken Lay, Chairman of the IFFIm Board of Directors. “This agreement shows how financial innovation can create life-saving opportunities.”
More than 40 million doses of malaria vaccine have already been administered through Gavi-supported programs, and 24 African countries now integrate malaria vaccination into routine immunization.
Demand is strong: 14 countries introduced the vaccine for the first time last year and another seven did so in 2025.
The lower price is expected to help Gavi get closer to its goal of fully vaccinating 50 million more children against malaria by the end of the decade.
Both WHO-recommended malaria vaccines, R21/Matrix-M and RTS,S, have been shown to reduce malaria cases by more than half in the first year after vaccination, with greater protection after a booster dose.
For families and health systems already under pressure from the disease, expanded implementation could be transformative. “It's about giving every child a fair chance at protection,” Lay said. “This is about saving lives now, not years from now.”
