Laboratory technician handling blood samples to test for Mpox virus.
The WHO has allocated 899,000 mpox vaccine doses to nine African countries that have been impacted the most by the disease’s current outbreak. This decision comes after the WHO declared mpox a global health emergency in August, following the spread of the clade Ib variant from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to neighboring nations. This year alone, the disease has caused over 1,000 deaths across the continent, with more than 46,000 suspected and confirmed cases. The DRC, as the most affected country, will receive 85% of the allocated doses, with the remaining 15% going to the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. The vaccines come from international sources, including European nations, the US, Canada, and Gavi, with the WHO’s response, mirroring its COVID-19 approach, aiming to deliver vaccines, tests, and treatments to vulnerable communities.
SOURCE: VOA NEWS