The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries to approve the Emergency Use Listing (EUL) to accelerate vaccines for the Mpox disease to combat the ongoing outbreak that has been reported in Africa, Sweden, and Pakistan.
According to WHO, the EUL will enable partners, including Gavi and UNICEF, to buy and distribute vaccines quickly so that people in these affected countries can get vaccinated sooner. However, these countries have not approved the vaccines through their own government health agencies or regulatory bodies.
"The WHO Director-General has triggered the process for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of vaccines, which will accelerate vaccine access, particularly for lower-income countries, which have not yet issued their own national regulatory approval. Emergency Use Listing also enables partners, including Gavi and UNICEF, to procure vaccines for distribution, WHO said in an email.
The ongoing mpox outbreak has been reported in 12 African countries, accounting for 17,541 cases and 517 deaths, according to the Africa Center for Disease Control (Africa CDC). South Africa has reported one; three have been reported in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, CAR, Congo Brazzaville, and Cameroon have reported five.
These numbers, according to the Africa CDC, represent a 16 percent increase by the end of July, compared to the same period in 2023.
"The DRC has reported the highest number of cases, accounting for 96% and 97% of deaths."
MVA-BN and LC16 are the two vaccines that have been approved by the WHO, with a third vaccine, ACAM2000, that may be considered if the other two vaccines are not available, according to the WHO.
"Getting a mpox vaccine can help prevent infection. The vaccine should be given within 4 days of contact with someone who has mpox (the vaccine can be given for up to 14 days if the contact has not developed symptoms)," WHO said in the email.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has reported an increasing number, prompting the WHO and the Africa Center for Disease Control to declare the illness an outbreak. According to the WHO, the DRC national regulatory authority has approved the use of two vaccines, MVA-BN and LC16, with a national immunization strategy in place.
"The next step is for the DRC to conclude bilateral agreements with Member States from whom they have requested vaccines. Once these approvals are in place, deployment of vaccines can begin, which will require infrastructure and a trained workforce to be ready right down to the field level."
Last week, the Africa Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Mpox disease a public health emergency of continental security, an illness caused by the monkeypox virus that is spread between people through direct contact such as kissing, touching, or sex.
It can also be transmitted through contaminated materials like sheets, clothing, and needles, according to the WHO. Symptoms include fever, a painful rash, headache, muscle and back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. Mpox causes signs and symptoms that usually begin within a week but can start 1-21 days after exposure.
WHO advised that symptoms typically last 2-4 weeks but may last longer in someone with a weakened immune system.
Clades 1 and ll are the two main types of mpox. A clade is a group of viruses that are genetically and clinically distinct from one another, having developed over decades. Clade 1b, which is prevalent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, causes more severe diseases and is responsible for the current outbreak.
About 90 cases of clade 1b have been reported in four countries neighboring the DRC that have not reported mpox before -- Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Mpox was once declared an outbreak in 2022 by the WHO after the disease spread in more than 70 countries, including the United States, and Europe. Clade ll was responsible for the outbreak in 2022, according to the Center for Disease Control.
In Liberia, the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) said that since this year, the country has accounted for five confirmed cases in three counties. "In recent times, new cases have been confirmed in neighboring countries like Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire in the region," NPHIL said in a release last week while informing the public of the enhancement of its surveillance.
"The public is strongly advised to take the following preventive measures: constant hand washing, avoiding sex with persons suspected of having Mpox symptoms, avoiding close contact with persons suspected of Mpox symptoms, avoiding animal contact, and reporting to the nearest medical facility should you experience or observe any of the Mpox symptoms listed above."
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The mpox disease has been spreading to other continents, including Europe. Last week, Sweden and Pakistan reported their first cases of mpox since WHO and the Africa Center for Disease Control declared a public health emergency. Pakistan's Ministry of Health said in a statement on Friday that the mpox strain that had caused the confirmed case was not immediately known.However, Sweden says the first case of the mpox case is clade l.
The World Health Organization says it is working with the governments of the affected countries, the Africa CDC, NGOs, civil society, and other partners to understand and address the drivers of these outbreaks.
The global health authority has developed a regional response plan, requiring an initial US$15 million to support surveillance, preparedness, and response activities.
"To fund that response, we have released US$ 1.45 million from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies, and we plan to release more in the coming days. We are also appealing to donors to fund the rest of the response plan."
