About this episode

The World Health Organization recently made the historic recommendation to widely use the first ever malaria vaccine, RTS,S. This recommendation was based on evidence generated from a pilot vaccine implementation programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi that has reached more than 800 000 children since 2019. This is an excellent example of how evidence based on implementation research tells us whether health interventions, such as vaccines, will be effective in real life, after clinical trials show its efficacy and safety. In this episode, Margaret Gyapong of the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana shares her first-hand experiences and learnings from the malaria vaccine pilot. Lee Hampton of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, also tells us how implementation research has played a key role in the success of health programmes for diseases such as yellow fever, typhoid and more.