The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, in collaboration with Burness Communications, works with malaria vaccine researchers and scientists in African countries to foster a network of skilled scientist-advocates. This work, part of a program known as the Malaria Vaccine Advocacy Fellowship, aims to bridge the worlds of science and policymaking and to help ensure that policymakers at national, regional, and international levels have the information they need to make timely and informed decisions as soon as a first malaria vaccine becomes available for use.

Slow decision-making can contribute to a substantial lag between the availability of lifesaving interventions, such as vaccines, and developing countries’ access to them. Researchers and scientists working on new health interventions can help to close this costly gap by becoming advocates in their own right.

This booklet presents a set of advocacy tips, success stories, and examples of advocacy efforts. These examples demonstrate that while simple actions—whether briefing policymakers, writing an opinion piece, or inserting a paragraph into a key speech—may seem to be small steps on their own, their collective impact can be significant over time.