Africa is set to receive its initial shipment of mpox vaccines this week, following their earlier release in other parts of the world.
The 10,000 doses, donated by the US, are intended to address a dangerous new variant of the virus, previously known as monkeypox, which raised global alarm after an outbreak in 2022.
While more than 70 countries outside Africa have already received these vaccines, the delay in providing them to the continent highlights serious issues in addressing global health emergencies, according to health officials and experts. They noted that the World Health Organization only began facilitating access to vaccines for African countries this month, despite the long-standing presence of the disease in the region. This process, they argued, could have been initiated much earlier.
Mpox, which causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, spreads through close contact and has been classified as a global health emergency by the WHO on August 14, following the spread of the new clade Ib variant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to neighboring nations.
The delay in receiving WHO approval for international agencies to procure and distribute mpox vaccines has compelled African governments and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to request donations from wealthier nations. This complex process risks breaking down if donor countries choose to reserve the vaccines for their own populations.
Helen Rees, a member of the Africa CDC’s mpox emergency committee and head of the Wits RHI Research Institute in Johannesburg, expressed frustration, stating it is “outrageous” that Africa is once again struggling for vaccine access, echoing issues faced during the Covid pandemic.
The Africa CDC estimates that 10 million doses may be necessary across the continent to manage the outbreak. However, the WHO only recently asked vaccine manufacturers to submit the data needed for emergency approval. Until this process is finalized in September, the WHO has urged countries to provide vaccine donations.
The WHO explained that it lacked the necessary data to conduct a thorough review and that an emergency license could only be issued after declaring a public health emergency of international concern.