Congo-Kinshasa: Mpox Vaccines to Start Arriving in Congo From September 1

NOCHA/Adedeji Ademigbuji
A baby is treated at a health centre in Nigeria.
27 August 2024
Daba Finance (Abidjan)

Mpox vaccines are expected to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo from September 1, as the region battles a deadly outbreak that has escalated into a global health emergency.

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director General Jean Kaseya announced on Tuesday that around 380,000 vaccines have been secured, with distribution plans targeting vulnerable populations.

The vaccine deployment coincides with the World Health Organization's (WHO) launch of a preparedness and response plan on Monday. The WHO is seeking $87.4 million in initial funding to support the first six months of the program, aiming to curb human-to-human transmission of mpox.

Key Takeaways

The outbreak, originating from a new strain in Congo, has driven the number of cases in Africa to nearly 23,000, up from 19,000 last week, with 622 deaths reported. Gabon confirmed its first case last week, linked to a traveler from Uganda. Despite these developments, international travel restrictions have not been imposed. The urgency of vaccine distribution in Congo underscores the critical need for swift and coordinated global efforts to halt the disease's spread and protect vulnerable populations.

Read the original article on Daba Finance.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2024 Daba Finance. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.