In an effort to contain an ongoing outbreak, the US gave the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 50,000 doses of the mpox vaccine on Tuesday. Along with highlighting the long-standing health relationship between the US and DRC, which includes work against malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and Ebola, US Ambassador Lucy Tamlyn stressed the significance of vaccines in combating the epidemic.
This contribution comes after the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority of the European Commission recently shipped close to 100,000 doses. The region’s hardest-hit nation, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is dealing with many outbreaks of mpox caused by different strains, including a novel variation called clade Ib that is spreading through sexual transmission.
The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that this new strain has also been found in neighboring East and Central African countries and among travelers outside Africa. Since early 2024, the DRC has recorded over 4,900 confirmed mpox cases and more than 620 deaths.
(Africanews)
