The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set a goal to halt mpox outbreaks in Africa within the next six months.
This announcement coincides with the expected arrival of the first vaccine shipments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the coming days.
Africa, particularly the DRC—with over 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths—has received only a small portion of the vaccines needed to combat the virus.
During a press briefing on Monday, September 2, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed confidence in ending the outbreaks, emphasising strong government leadership and collaborative partnerships.
In August, WHO declared mpox outbreaks a global emergency to prompt a stronger international response, even as a new strain of the virus, known as clade 1b, has been identified in countries including Burundi, Cameroon, Rwanda, and Kenya.
The potentially more contagious variant was detected in Congo in May, raising concerns among health officials.
WHO estimates that approximately 230,000 vaccines could soon be sent to Congo and other affected countries. Additionally, WHO is launching educational campaigns to inform people in outbreak areas about preventing the spread of the disease.
Africa’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated its aim to receive 380,000 vaccine doses from donors, including the US and the EU, though this falls short of the quantity needed to eradicate the outbreaks.
