EU:Vacs for Africa

In response to Africa’s CDC or Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s call for global help on the rising mpox cases in Africa, the EU through its Health agency wing, HERA or Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, will procure and donate 175,420 doses of the MVA-BN® vaccine, the only FDA and EMA-approved mpox vaccine, and in addition, the pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic will also donate 40,000 doses to HERA which will then be distributed by the Africa CDC according to regional needs and emergency cases. Dr Jean Kaseya accepted the wonderful news with much appreciation, “We are grateful for the swift and generous response from the European Commission and Bavarian Nordic to the mpox outbreak. The donation of over 215,000 doses, is a crucial step in our fight against this crisis. This partnership not only delivers essential vaccines but also underscores our collective commitment to safeguarding health across Africa. It exemplifies the power of international collaboration in addressing public health emergencies. Together, we will strengthen our response efforts and ensure that communities across the continent receive the protection they need.” Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus. It is similar to smallpox but generally less severe. The disease is characterized by a flu-like illness followed by a rash that progresses from macules to papules, vesicles, pustules, and finally scabs. Symptoms typically include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion, followed by a rash that often begins on the face before spreading to other parts of the body. Africa is typically at risk from mpox outbreak due to various factors like rise in population density and mobility which increases the human to human exposure from the virus, limited access to health care and insufficient public health structures on most African countries is also an important factor, in addition, poor and challenging sanitation due to lack of health and sanitation facilities, cultural practices of hunting and handling bush meat, overcrowded living situations and disruption of wildlife habitats are also important factors that increases mpox risks for the general population all across the African continent. Stella Kyriakides, EU’s Commissioner for Health and Food Safety remarked, “Strong global partnerships are at the very core of our European Health Union. Health security threats know no borders and today, thanks to the collaboration between the European Commission, Africa Centre for Disease Control and Bavarian Nordic, we make 215,000 vaccines available to protect the most vulnerable in countries affected by the outbreak of mpox in Africa. Preparedness and response to health threats is a global endeavour which we are determined to pursue collectively and with solidarity across borders.” The EU through HERA will also work and coordinate efforts with Africa CDC to expand access to mpox diagnostics and sequencing in the region, through a €3.5 million grant foreseen for early autumn.