UNICEF Launches Emergency Tender for Monkeypox Vaccines

UNICEF has issued an emergency tender to procure vaccines for the mpox outbreak, declared a public health emergency. Collaborating with Africa CDC, WHO, and other partners, the initiative aims to secure and distribute vaccines swiftly, with up to 12 million doses anticipated through 2025.

UNICEF has announced an emergency tender to acquire monkeypox (mpox) vaccines, essential in addressing the outbreak classified as a public health emergency by the Africa CDC and the WHO. This initiative, in partnership with Africa CDC, Gavi, WHO, and other organizations, focuses on providing vaccines to the hardest-hit regions.

The tender involves setting up conditional supply agreements with vaccine producers, ensuring rapid procurement and distribution once financing, demand, and regulatory criteria are met. The WHO is currently evaluating submissions from manufacturers, with an Emergency Use Listing decision expected by mid-September. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the crisis's epicenter, has reported over 18,000 suspected mpox cases this year, including 629 fatalities, predominantly among children.

Leila Pakkala, Director of UNICEF's Supply Division, emphasized the urgent need to resolve the mpox vaccine shortage and to implement an equitable distribution system. The emergency tender aims to guarantee immediate vaccine access and to boost production, potentially yielding up to 12 million doses by 2025, based on demand and funding.

Besides vaccines, Africa CDC, Gavi, UNICEF, and WHO are intensifying efforts in infection control, risk communication, and community engagement. UNICEF is also dispatching protective gear, diagnostic tests, medical treatment kits, and other resources to frontline countries to support comprehensive medical responses, including treatment, case isolation, and surveillance.

(With inputs from agencies.)