WHO, Africa CDC strengthen Mpox vaccination in Nigeria, 16 other countries

The World Health Organisation and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have committed to guiding the development of targeted mpox vaccine preparedness and deployment plans to ensure the efficient use of available doses.

This decision was reached last week at a gathering of country representatives and partners in Brazzaville.

The Africa CDC, in a statement on Sunday, noted that with anticipated mpox vaccine deliveries to the African region in the coming months, countries had requested support in identifying and mapping mpox hotspots based on local epidemiology and planning targeted vaccination strategies to reach populations at risk of mpox.

More than 120 participants from 17 countries, along with partners from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Agency for International Development, and with support from Canada, attended the Regional Mpox Vaccine Preparedness and Deployment Plan Development meeting, which took place from November 5-7, 2024.

“The regional meeting focused on support for the following countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

“During the meeting, WHO and Africa CDC experts provided countries with the most up-to-date information on WHO recommendations and a set of tools to guide the development of mpox vaccination plans.

“Both organisations have made concerted efforts to help countries acquire vaccines amid ongoing outbreaks. WHO added the MVA-BN vaccine to its prequalification list on 13 September 2024 and established an Access and Allocation Mechanism to facilitate better access to vaccines, treatments, and tests where they are most needed,” the statement said.

It added that mpox vaccine deployments had faced delays on the continent and that supply would likely remain limited in the near- to medium-term. However, recently, three countries in the African region—Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria—received a total of 280,000 doses. Initial vaccination efforts have begun in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, with more than 50,000 doses administered.

“Given the ongoing challenges in controlling the outbreak with traditional public health measures, the need for effective mpox vaccine preparedness and deployment plans has become urgent. With mpox vaccine supply constraints, countries must develop very targeted deployment plans, guided by local epidemiology,” said the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti.

The Director General of the Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, added, “The swift actions of countries across Africa to roll out targeted mpox vaccination strategies reflect an extraordinary commitment to protecting those most vulnerable. Achieving this progress within a short window underscores the ambition and resilience of our member states to halt transmission and safeguard at-risk populations.

“This momentum speaks to the power of collaboration across the continent and with our global partners. Africa CDC remains unwavering in its support, equipping countries with essential tools, guidance, and resources to drive impactful progress in controlling mpox.”

The statement highlighted that the WHO, Africa CDC, and other partners are working together in the Continental Incident Management Support Team to help countries prepare for and respond to mpox outbreaks, not only through vaccination but also in diagnostics, case management, risk communication, and community engagement.

“The collaboration between agencies comes at a critical time, as mpox cases continue to rise on the continent, and new cases are reported outside Africa. As of November 6, over 11,000 laboratory-confirmed cases had been reported since the start of 2024. Four countries (South Africa, Guinea, Cameroon, and Gabon) moved to the ‘controlled phase’ in October 2024 after reporting no new cases for six weeks. Fourteen other countries are currently experiencing active outbreaks in Africa,” the statement concluded.