US Donates Mpox Vaccine to Democratic Republic of Congo to Combat Outbreak
The United States has donated 50,000 doses of mpox vaccine to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to help combat the ongoing outbreak. This recent donation is part of the long-standing health partnership between the US and DRC, which has seen cooperation on various health initiatives including malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and Ebola.
The DRC, the most affected country in the region, is currently battling multiple mpox outbreaks caused by various strains, including the new clade Ib variant, which is spreading rapidly through sexual transmission. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this new strain has also been detected in other East and Central African countries and among travelers outside Africa.
The 50,000 doses of vaccine donated by the US are a significant boost to the country’s efforts to control the outbreak. The donation follows a recent shipment of nearly 100,000 doses from the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority.
The WHO reports that the DRC has recorded over 4,900 confirmed mpox cases and more than 620 deaths since early 2024. The organization emphasizes the importance of vaccines in controlling the disease and urges continued efforts to combat the outbreak.
The US Ambassador to the DRC, Lucy Tamlyn, highlighted the importance of vaccines in controlling the disease and praised the partnership between the two countries in addressing health challenges.
