Africa faces a growing Mpox vaccine need; Western donations are modest compared to the crisis scale.
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The African health authority estimates a growing need for vaccine doses to control the Mpox emergency, noting that donations from Brussels and other Western partners are modest. The situation mirrors past global health crises, with concerns over delayed Western responses. As of September 2024, Africa has seen over 24,000 suspected Mpox cases across 14 countries, with the Democratic Republic of Congo being a major epicenter. The African CDC estimates at least 10 million doses are needed by 2025 to curb the virus’s spread. Western contributions remain small; the US has delivered about 60,000 doses, Canada promised 200,000, and the EU has donated an initial batch of 200,000. While Brussels announced around half a million doses for African governments, this amount only covers about 19% of the DRC’s needs or 5% of the continent’s projected need. The European Commission secured two million doses of the MVA-BN vaccine for its own citizens and has extended support to the Africa CDC using this same vaccine, which is noted for its high efficacy by health authorities.
