THE Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the latest outbreak of Mpox has already infected over 18,000 people, is expected to be the first recipient of an emergency tender from UNICEF to procure vaccines to combat what the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global pandemic.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced that Mpox vaccines are set to arrive in the DRC within the next few days to fight a new strain of the virus. “We hope to have the first delivery in the next few days, and then it will build up,” Tedros told reporters. WHO official Tim Nguyen added that approximately 230,000 Mpox doses are immediately available for dispatch, donated by the European Commission and Danish vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic.
In response to the crisis, UNICEF has issued an emergency tender to secure additional Mpox vaccines for affected countries, working in collaboration with the Gavi vaccine alliance, Africa CDC, and WHO. This joint effort could result in agreements for up to 12 million doses through 2025, depending on manufacturers’ production capacity.
The tender will allow UNICEF to establish conditional supply agreements with vaccine manufacturers, enabling swift procurement and distribution once financing, demand, readiness, and regulatory requirements are met. The collaboration also involves the Vaccine Alliance, the Pan American Health Organization, and high-income countries with existing vaccine stockpiles.
The WHO is currently reviewing applications for emergency use licenses for two vaccines developed by Bavarian Nordic and Japan’s KM Biologics. The review is expected to be completed by mid-September.
Earlier in August, the WHO declared Mpox a global public health emergency following an outbreak in the DRC that has since spread to neighbouring countries. So far this year, the DRC has reported over 18,000 suspected Mpox cases with 629 deaths, while more than 150 cases have been confirmed in Burundi. Additionally, cases of the clade Ib type of the virus have been confirmed in Sweden and Thailand, marking its spread beyond Central Africa.
