The World Health Organization (WHO) and partner organizations announced on Wednesday the allocation of an initial 899,000 mpox vaccine doses to nine African countries severely affected by the current outbreak.
The move comes after the WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years in August. This declaration was prompted by the rapid spread of the clade Ib variant, originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo and subsequently affecting neighboring countries.
In September, facing criticism for a perceived slow response, the WHO approved Bavarian Nordic’s mpox vaccine and considered Japan’s KM Biologics’ LC16 as a potential alternative. The organization also established a scheme to prioritize vaccine, test, and treatment distribution to vulnerable populations in low-income countries, mirroring the COVID-19 pandemic response.
The newly allocated vaccines will be distributed to the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda. The Democratic Republic of Congo, as the most affected country, will receive the largest share, accounting for 85% of the allocated doses.
The vaccine supply is sourced from European countries, the United States, Canada, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a public-private partnership supporting vaccine access in low-income countries.
As of the latest WHO figures, Africa has recorded over 46,000 confirmed and suspected mpox cases and over 1,000 related deaths in 2023.