The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that over 50,000 individuals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have received mpox vaccinations.
This milestone achievement is attributed to generous donations from the United States and the European Commission.
Despite this positive development, the African Union’s health watchdog has cautioned that the outbreak remains uncontrolled.
The organization has urged for increased resource allocation to prevent a pandemic potentially more severe than COVID-19.
According to the Africa CDC, the outbreak has resulted in over 1,100 fatalities and nearly 48,000 confirmed cases across the African continent since January.
The DRC, identified as the epicenter of the outbreak, initiated a vaccination campaign last month.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the allocation of nearly 900,000 vaccine doses to nine countries through the Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM).
This mechanism, established by the WHO and its partners, aims to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines.
Mpox, a viral disease transmitted through close physical contact, is characterized by symptoms such as fever, body aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a distinctive rash.
The WHO continues to monitor the situation closely and urges global cooperation to mitigate the impact of this ongoing outbreak.