First Batch of Mpox Vaccines Arrives in Congo Amid Health Emergency

The first batch of 100,000 mpox vaccines has arrived in Congo's capital, donated by the EU through HERA. UNICEF will lead the vaccination campaign, but the start date remains uncertain. Despite promises of 380,000 doses, the Congo needs 3 million doses to control the outbreak.

The first shipment of 100,000 mpox vaccine doses arrived in Congo's capital on Thursday, the nation's authorities confirmed. This delivery comes three weeks after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared mpox outbreaks in 12 African countries a global emergency.

The vaccines, manufactured by Danish company Bavarian Nordic, have been donated by the European Union via HERA, the bloc's agency for health emergencies. An additional 100,000 doses are anticipated to arrive on Saturday, according to Congolese authorities.

UNICEF is set to oversee the vaccination campaign in the provinces most affected, Congo's Health Minister Roger Kamba announced. However, the exact start date of the vaccination drive is still unclear.

Dr. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, revealed that Western partners like the European Union and the United States have pledged a total of 380,000 doses. This figure is far short of the 3 million doses projected to be necessary to curb the mpox outbreaks in Congo, which is currently at the epicenter of this global health crisis.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has been spreading mostly undetected in Africa for years before triggering an outbreak in over 70 countries in 2022, said Dr. Dimie Ogoina, chair of WHO's mpox emergency committee.

(With inputs from agencies.)