The World Health Organization (WHO) says the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine given provisional approval by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) still needs to undergo more trials.

The trials are to be recommended by WHO.

WHO Country Representative to Nigeria Dr Walter Mulombo, during a media parley at the UN House in Abuja on Tuesday, also restated the importance and efficacy of the RTSS vaccine adopted by countries like Ghana and Kenya.

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark World Malaria Day during Africa Vaccines Week and World Immunisation Week, Mulombo also emphasised the need for proper policy funding and education in the efforts to get Nigeria and Africa to zero malaria.

He noted that 96 percent of world deaths and 95 percent of world infections from malaria occurred in Africa, while Nigeria contributed to 79 percent of Africa’s unvaccinated children.

The Federal Government, earlier this month, granted regulatory approval for the R21/Matrix-M developed by scientists at Oxford University.

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration And Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, said the vaccine is to address the prevention of malaria in children from five months to 36 months of age.

He added that Nigeria has the highest prevalence of malaria in the world with over 27 per cent, and the highest number of global malaria deaths of 32 per cent.

According to Adeyeye, a full review using the standards of the World Health Organisation was carried out on the vaccine, to ensure its efficacy, safety, and quality.

The development comes days after Ghana became the first country to approve the vaccine — which is said to be 80 per cent effective.