Mpox vaccines are available – why are they not reaching Africa?
Nigeria became the first African country this week to receive a batch of vaccines against mpox, a viral disease whose rapid spread led the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency in mid-August. While more vaccine doses are available, experts say high costs and regulatory hurdles have prevented the jabs from reaching the countries in central Africa that most need them.
Central Africa is seeing a rapid increase in mpox cases, with nearly 4,000 reported in a week, the continent's public health body said Tuesday, reiterating a plea for long-awaited vaccines to combat a virus that is believed to have infected tens of thousands of people and killed more than 600 since the start of the year.
The US on Tuesday donated 10,000 doses of mpox vaccines to Nigeria, the first such donation to Africa since the current outbreak. Several other countries have also promised to send vaccines to the continent, with Spain alone pledging half a million doses.
But there are still no jabs currently available in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where mpox has circulated since January of last year and a new variant is preying on vulnerable, displaced populations, even as wealthy countries continue to inoculate people who are at lower risk.
FRANCE 24 looks at the funding, logistical and regulatory challenges that have hindered the distribution of mpox vaccines in Africa.
What is mpox?
Only the LC16 jab is currently approved for use in children.
(With AP, Reuters)
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