Ghana has made global public health history by completing the national rollout of the RTS,S malaria vaccine — the world's first malaria vaccine — across all 261 districts. The Ghana Health Service announced the milestone at a ceremony in Accra attended by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Over 4.2 million children aged 5–17 months have been vaccinated since the programme began in earnest in 2023, following Ghana's participation in the pilot study. Preliminary data shows a 40% reduction in severe malaria cases in districts where the vaccine has been deployed for more than 12 months.
Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu called the achievement "a triumph of Ghana's public health system and our community health workers, who reached children in the remotest corners of our country." Ghana loses approximately 3,500 children under five to malaria annually.
The WHO and GAVI have pledged continued funding for the vaccine programme through 2030. Ghana is now working with 12 other African countries to share lessons learned from its rollout experience.
