Nigeria, 16 others assisted to develop mpox vaccination plans

Nigeria and 16 other African countries are developing mpox vaccine preparedness and deployment plans with the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

A regional meeting focused on support for 17 African countries including Nigeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Kenya, Republic of Congo, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe was recently organised by Africa CDC.

The countries had requested support in identifying and mapping mpox hotspots, based on the local epidemiology and the planning of targeted vaccination strategies to reach risky mpox populations, following the anticipation of further mpox vaccine deliveries to the African region in the coming months.

About 120 participants from 17 countries along with partners from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Agency for International Development, and with support from Canada participated in the Regional Mpox Vaccine Preparedness and Deployment Plan Development meeting.

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

WHO added the MVA-BN vaccine to its prequalification list on 13 September 2024; and established an Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) to facilitate better access to vaccines, treatments and tests where they are most needed.

Speaking at the meeting, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said effective mpox vaccine preparedness and deployment plans have become urgent given the ongoing difficulties with bringing the outbreak under control using traditional public health measures.

She noted that with the mpox vaccine supply constraints, countries need to develop targeted deployment plans, guided by local epidemiology.

The Director General of the Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, explained that Mpox vaccine deployments were delayed on the continent and supply may remain limited in the near- to medium-term, however, three countries in the African Region – Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria received a total of 280, 000 doses.

He noted that the swift actions of countries across Africa to roll out targeted mpox vaccination strategies reflect an extraordinary commitment to protecting the most vulnerable.

Kaseya stressed that achieving progress within a short window of time underscores the ambition and resilience of member states to halt transmission and safeguard at-risk populations, adding that the momentum speaks to the power of collaboration across the continent and with global partners.

“Africa CDC remains unwavering in its support, equipping countries with essential tools, guidance, and resources to drive impactful progress in controlling mpox,” she said.

WHO and Africa CDC and other partners are working together in the Continental IMST to support countries to prepare for and respond to mpox outbreaks, not just through vaccination, but also in areas such as diagnostics, case management, risk communication and community engagement.