The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is preparing to meet with African leaders to discuss a coordinated response for the distribution of mpox vaccines to affected regions, reports indicate.
According to reliable news sources, the first shipment of vaccines has already been sent to the most severely impacted area, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), three weeks after the declaration of a global mpox outbreak affecting 12 African nations.
The shipment of 100,000 doses, which arrived in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, on Thursday, was overseen by international partners, including the European Union and the United States. These partners have pledged to supply approximately 380,000 doses of mpox vaccines.
However, this quantity accounts for less than 15% of the 3 million doses that health authorities estimate are needed to control the mpox outbreaks in the DRC, which has become a focal point of the global health crisis.
Reports also confirm that Nigeria received 10,000 doses as part of a rapid response from the United States following announcements of an outbreak last week.
Dr. Dimie Ogoina, Chair of the WHO’s Mpox Emergency Committee, described the outbreak as stemming from the subtle spread of the virus since 2022.
The Africa CDC is currently developing a comprehensive response plan, which will be presented to African leaders for consideration at a meeting scheduled for September.