New cost-effectiveness analysis comparing malaria vaccines with existing interventions

This analysis from 1DaySooner evaluates the cost-effectiveness of two malaria vaccines, RTS,S and R21, compared to existing malaria interventions: insecticide-treated bed nets, seasonal malaria chemoprevention, and mosquito control. Researchers analyzed available research on these methods that quantified cost-effectiveness using dollars per disability-adjusted life-year averted (DALYs) and converted the findings to 2024 US dollars to allow for a rough comparison between studies and interventions.

The findings show that the R21 vaccine is nearly as cost-effective as bed nets, the most efficient intervention ($39/DALY for R21 vs. $38/DALY for bed nets). The RTS,S vaccine is more expensive at $129/DALY, but is still cheaper than mosquito control ($296/DALY), the least cost-effective strategy. Despite some uncertainties in this analysis, the available evidence suggests that the R21 vaccine is competitive with the best available malaria interventions. Given the current funding and manufacturing gap for the R21 vaccine, accelerating the funding and distribution of this vaccine could be a cost-effective method of saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

 Takeaways:

• The R21 malaria vaccine is a cost-effective and promising new tool in the fight against malaria, comparable to the best existing interventions, and accelerating its deployment could save hundreds of thousands of lives in the coming years. To achieve this, increased financial support is essential to close the production-delivery gap, reduce costs for LMICs, and streamline distribution logistics.
• International organizations like Gavi, the Gates Foundation, and UNICEF should enhance transparency regarding their plans for the R21 rollout and address existing roadblocks. The Serum Institute of India, the manufacturer, along with multiple African nations, are calling for increased doses of R21 to be purchased and delivered, indicating that supply and demand are present but funding remains a bottleneck.
• Treating the R21 rollout with proper urgency requires coordinated global transparency and communication, ensuring that all stakeholders can contribute effectively to this critical public health effort