$35M USAID Health Assistance for Mpox Outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa Announced

The additional assistance will enable USAID to intensify its collaboration with affected countries and regional and global health partners to mitigate the impact of the outbreak.

The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has announced up to an additional $35 million in emergency health assistance to bolster efforts against the ongoing clade I mpox outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa. This new funding, pending Congressional Notification, raises the total U.S. government support for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other affected countries in the region to over $55 million.

The additional assistance will enable USAID to intensify its collaboration with affected countries and regional and global health partners to mitigate the impact of the outbreak. USAID's comprehensive support includes surveillance, diagnostics, risk communication and community engagement, infection prevention and control, case management, and vaccination planning and coordination.

The DRC has been at the center of an unprecedented clade I mpox outbreak since 2023, which has spread to several other countries in the region, including those with no previous history of mpox cases. In light of the escalating situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), while the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) issued its first-ever Public Health Emergency of Continental Security.

As part of its response, the United States has donated 50,000 doses of Jynneos vaccines to the DRC, the hardest-hit country, along with resources to support vaccine readiness and delivery.

The U.S. government remains committed to a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to addressing this growing outbreak and urges other donors to join in these vital efforts.