Healthcare workers' knowledge and acceptance of the malaria vaccine in the Nanoro Health District of Burkina Faso: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

In February 2024, Burkina Faso introduced the malaria vaccine RTS,S/AS01 into its Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI). For vaccination to be successful, an important criterion is its acceptance by the population. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are among the primary sources of information for caregivers when deciding whether to vaccinate their children or not. This study aimed to assess HCWs' knowledge and acceptance of the new malaria vaccine (MV) in the Nanoro Health District and to identify factors associated with MV acceptance within this group.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study among HCWs from April to May 2025 in Nanoro (Burkina Faso), using an online questionnaire. All HCWs employed in the public or private health sectors of the Nanoro Health District at the time of data collection were eligible to participate, upon voluntary informed consent. The vaccine acceptance rate was expressed as the proportion of HCWs willing to vaccinate their children out of the total number of participants. Logistic regression was employed for both bivariate and multivariate analyses to test associations.

RESULTS

Two hundred fifty-seven (257) HCWs out of 340 eligible HCWs participated in the survey. The vaccine acceptance rate was 98.8%. Insufficient information about the vaccine was the primary reason for hesitancy. Twenty-two percent (22.6%) of the HCWs were unaware of the type of vaccine used in the district and had no knowledge of the vaccination schedule. More than half (58.0%) stated that they did not receive any training before the vaccine rollout. Willingness to recommend the vaccine and positive attitudes were associated with HCWs' willingness to vaccinate their children, although independent effects could not be confirmed. No links were found between vaccine acceptance and sociodemographic characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

Most HCWs were willing to vaccinate their children against malaria. However, few were hesitant due to insufficient information about the vaccine and more than one-fifth had limited knowledge about this specific vaccine. Training all HCWs on the MV (whether involved in EPI or not) and strengthening communication about it are essential to address concerns around the vaccine, and ensure sustained uptake in the community, thereby improving national vaccination coverage.