Africa CDC expects mpox vaccines in August as cases hit 19,000

AFRICAN BUSINESS AND ECONOMYAugust 20, 2024 at 5:17 PM UTC

TLDR

Mpox vaccines set to arrive in Africa soon after Africa CDC's public health emergency declaration.
New strain of mpox from the Democratic Republic of Congo causes a spike in cases across the continent.
Africa CDC aims to have vaccines available by the end of next week to combat the outbreak.

Mpox vaccines are expected to arrive in Africa shortly, following the continent-wide public health emergency declaration by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) due to a surge in cases.

Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya announced that the vaccines would likely be available by the end of next week. The outbreak, driven by a new strain of mpox originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo, has led to a significant increase in cases across the continent.

Numbers have risen to nearly 19,000 from around 17,500 in just a week. However, Kaseya did not specify how many of these cases involve the new clade 1b strain.

Key Takeaways

The imminent arrival of vaccines is a crucial step in controlling the spread of the disease. Africa has faced mpox since the 1970s with limited global attention, despite being the only continent where the disease is endemic. In 2022, when mpox began spreading globally, Africa was notably excluded from receiving vaccines, echoing the continent's experience during the Covid-19 pandemic, where it was also last in line for vaccinations. This repeated neglect highlights Africa's reliance on imported vaccines and the challenges faced in establishing a robust vaccine manufacturing industry. The Africa CDC is now working to ensure a different outcome for this mpox outbreak. Efforts are underway to secure timely vaccine supplies for the continent.

Economy

Africa

Mpox

Africa CDC

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

WHO

Vaccines

Mpox Vaccine