Africa is finally set to receive its first batch of 10,000 mpox vaccines next week amidst concerns over the global spread of a new, more virulent strain of the virus. The slow arrival of these vaccines, already available in over 70 countries outside Africa, underscores ongoing disparities in global healthcare access despite lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) only recently began the formal process to facilitate vaccine access for poorer nations, a step many public health officials believe should have started years ago. Mpox, a potentially fatal disease causing flu-like symptoms and lesions, has been spreading rapidly across the continent, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reporting over 27,000 suspected cases this year alone.
The first vaccines, donated by the US and produced by Bavarian Nordic, are destined for Nigeria, not the DRC. This delay has left many African countries scrambling to secure their own supplies, highlighting the challenges of obtaining vaccines without international support.
The WHO is now working with African authorities to expedite the approval process and ensure that vaccines reach the most needy. Despite the imminent arrival of the first vaccines, significant challenges remain, including the need for proper storage and the complexity of administering the shots, particularly to children.
The situation in Africa underscores the need for a more equitable global health system where wealth or geography does not determine access to life-saving vaccines.