KINSHASA: The Democratic Republic of Congo received its first shipment of mpox vaccines on Thursday, which health authorities hope will help curb an outbreak that has led the UN to declare a global public health emergency.
The vaccines, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic and donated by the European Union, arrived at Kinshasa’s N’djili Airport around 13:00 local time (12:00 GMT).
The arrival of these vaccines is particularly crucial for Congo, the epicenter of the mpox outbreak that has also spread to neighboring countries. A shortage of vaccines in Africa has exacerbated the challenge of controlling the disease.
Congo’s Health Minister, Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba, expressed optimism about the impact of the vaccines, noting their successful use in the United States. “We know which provinces are heavily affected, notably Equateur and South Kivu,” Mulamba said. “The idea is to contain the virus as quickly as possible.”
The initial delivery includes 99,000 doses, with a second batch scheduled to arrive on Saturday, bringing the total to 200,000 doses. Laurent Muschel, head of the EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), confirmed that Europe aims to provide a total of 566,000 doses to the region based on the needs.
“Based on the number of cases, the next country (for deliveries) should be Burundi, but the country’s medical agency must authorize it,” Muschel told Reuters.
While vaccines were widely accessible in Europe and the United States during the 2022 global mpox outbreak, African countries, including Congo, faced severe shortages.
Congo plans to launch its vaccination campaign on October 8 to allow time for a comprehensive awareness campaign aimed at overcoming vaccine hesitancy in some communities. The health ministry reported 19,710 suspected cases of mpox in Congo during the first eight months of this year, with 5,041 confirmed cases and 655 fatalities.
Mpox, which causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, spreads through close contact, including sexual contact.
