The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expecting to receive its first shipment of monkeypox (Mpox) vaccines next week.
This development comes after international support from the United States and Japan, which is expected to help the DRC combat the outbreak of Mpox.
Congolese health minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said Monday that discussions with U.S. authorities and USAID led to the imminent delivery of a substantial quantity of MPOX vaccine doses.
In addition to the U.S. assistance, Japan pledged to provide vaccines and needles in collaboration with the WHO. Gavi, the Global Vaccine Alliance, also committed up to $500 million to support countries affected by the MPOX outbreak.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared Mpox a global public health emergency in response to the rapid spread of a new variant of the MPOX virus, known as Clade lb.
In DRC, the global outbreak primarily affects young people who have not been vaccinated against smallpox. The DRC plans to vaccinate 2.5 million people with 3.5 million doses at an estimated cost of $600 million.
The initial shipment from the U.S. will include 50,000 doses of Mpox vaccines.
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