Mpox Emergency: Africa Left Without Vaccines

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Mpox Emergency: Africa Left Without Vaccines

Mpox Emergency: Africa Left Without Vaccines

Global Inequality in Vaccine Distribution

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) a “public health emergency of international concern” in August.

While this disease is not new to Africa, a stark global imbalance in vaccine distribution has emerged.

Wealthy nations with significantly lower infection risks are rolling out vaccinations, while Africa, where the disease is more prevalent, lacks supply.

Experts warn that millions in Africa are at risk due to this global disparity in vaccine supply, medical issues, and regulatory delays.

Duduzile Ndwandwe of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMARA) stated, “The shortage of Mpox vaccines in Africa is due to supply chain issues, funding, infrastructure, and the fact that this disease is less prominent compared to other priority health concerns.”

Mpox Emergency: Africa Left Without Vaccines

The Spread of Mpox

Mpox began spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in January 2022. In January 2023, a new, more virulent strain was discovered, raising significant concerns. To address the 2022 outbreak, at least 70 countries outside Africa have access to two types of vaccines manufactured by Denmark’s Bavarian Nordic and Japan’s KM Biologics. Some medical institutions in Europe and the United States offer these vaccines for free.

However, African countries received no supply until Nigeria received 10,000 doses from the United States in the last week of September.

High Fatality Rate

Mpox causes flu-like symptoms and can be fatal. The cost of vaccination is about $100 per person. Professor Jimmy Whitworth from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine notes that the new “Clade 1b” variant has a significantly higher fatality rate. The current outbreak is spreading through human-to-human transmission, likely via sexual contact.

In the DRC, over 27,000 infections and 1,100 deaths, primarily among children, have been reported since January 2022, with the infection spreading to 12 neighboring countries.

Challenges in African Response

Many African countries struggle to respond effectively. The $100 per dose cost is a significant burden for governments with limited budgets that must also control diseases like measles, malaria, and cholera. Professor Whitworth points out that in the DRC, Mpox was previously considered more dangerous than measles among both the general public and experts.

Regulatory issues also pose problems. Despite Mpox spreading across borders in Africa, national authorities only approved the vaccine in June, with distribution dates still undetermined.

Reasons for Delay

While the distribution of two types of vaccines was effective when Mpox spread to 100 countries in 2022, African countries have not received adequate support in the current outbreak. Efforts to strengthen countermeasures are only now gaining momentum.

According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the African Union (AU) has provided €9.34 million in emergency support for Mpox countermeasures, with a need for 10 million vaccine doses. Bavarian Nordic states it can produce 10 million doses by the end of 2025 and has provided 2 million doses this year.

The WHO has urged agencies like Gavi (the Vaccine Alliance) and UNICEF to rapidly supply vaccines to Africa. The United States and Japan have promised vaccine supplies, and the DRC was scheduled to receive its first supply in the last week of August, but this was postponed.

Call for Urgent Action

Professor Whitworth argues that regulatory authorities in Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, and Kenya, where infections have been confirmed, should approve the vaccine before the outbreak intensifies.

The DRC’s healthcare system was already at its limit before the Mpox outbreak, having faced measles and Ebola outbreaks alongside long-term internal conflicts. Experts argue that short-term measures will not be effective.

Katarina Schroeder from the NGO Save the Children emphasizes that long-term investment in social welfare and medical infrastructure is essential to prevent future outbreaks. Many remote medical centers lack basic testing kits and skilled staff. While citizens understand the dangers of Mpox, most cannot afford to observe the four-week isolation period due to daily survival pressures.

This situation highlights the urgent need for global cooperation and equitable distribution of medical resources to effectively combat emerging health threats, particularly in regions with limited healthcare infrastructure.