By Bunmi Yekini
In response to a significant mpox outbreak, the Access and Allocation Mechanism for mpox (AAM) has distributed an initial 899,000 vaccine doses to nine African nations experiencing a rapid increase in cases. The countries benefiting from the allocation are the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda. This decision, backed by Africa CDC, WHO, Gavi, CEPI, and UNICEF, seeks to maximize the impact of limited vaccine supplies.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the epicenter of the outbreak, will receive the largest share, 85% of the doses, given that it currently accounts for 80% of all confirmed cases in Africa. Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of Africa CDC, emphasized the urgency, stating, “This allocation reflects our commitment to support the hardest-hit areas and to protect lives through a fair and data-informed approach.”
Funding and vaccine donations have come from several international partners, including Canada, the European Union, Gavi, and the United States. As limited vaccination campaigns have recently commenced in the DRC and Rwanda, this wider distribution marks a crucial step toward containment.
The WHO declared the mpox surge a “public health emergency of international concern,” while Africa CDC categorized it as a “public health emergency of continental security.” According to Dr. Nkengasong, “This effort is part of a comprehensive response, combining vaccination with testing, treatment, and community engagement to break the chain of transmission.”
With the first rollout scheduled for the nine countries, the AAM partners expect further allocations before year-end, as they scale up efforts to respond to the outbreak.