Gavi secures 500,000 doses of Mpox vaccine for Africa
What you need to know:
- The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), a key partner in Gavi’s alliance, will oversee the distribution process.
Dar es Salaam. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has finalized an Advance Purchase Agreement (APA) with Bavarian Nordic A/S to secure 500,000 doses of the mpox vaccine for distribution across Africa.
The procurement will be financed by Gavi’s First Response Fund, with vaccine delivery anticipated in 2024.
The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), a key partner in Gavi’s alliance, will oversee the distribution process.
CEO of Gavi, Dr Sania Nishtar, highlighted the importance of this agreement: "We are committed to working with affected governments and our partners to ensure these vaccines reach the people who need them most. This agreement marks a significant milestone in our global efforts to combat mpox."
Bavarian Nordic’s President and CEO, Paul Chaplin, expressed support for the initiative, stating, "We are proud to support Gavi and other global health partners in ensuring life-saving vaccines are available for vulnerable populations in Africa."
Mpox, which is caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), is related to the virus that causes smallpox. The current outbreak, which started in early 2023 in Congo, has resulted in 37,500 infections and 1,451 deaths.
The disease has spread to 14 African countries, according to the Africa CDC. A vaccination campaign using 265,000 donated doses is scheduled to begin in Congo in early October.
