Health Reporter
The United States has delivered 50,000 doses of the JYNNEOS mpox vaccine to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to combat the ongoing outbreak.
USAID Spokesperson Benjamin Suarato stated,
“This delivery is a result of months of U.S.-led efforts with partners to facilitate vaccine donations and ease regulatory and logistical processes.”
The vaccine donation aims to minimize the impact of MPox on the continent, with over 100,000 confirmed cases and 200 deaths reported globally since 2022.
The U.S. government is collaborating with partners like Gavi, WHO, Africa CDC, and UNICEF to deliver vaccines to high-risk communities.
“The U.S. government is committed to supporting the Government of DRC and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa to curb the outbreak,” said Suarato.
The World Health Organization declared the MPox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on August 14, with DRC being the most severely impacted country.
USAID and other U.S. government agencies have committed over $55 million to response efforts, supporting public health interventions to reduce MPox transmission, morbidity, and mortality in DRC and the region. These efforts include enhanced surveillance, risk communication, laboratory and diagnostics, infection prevention, clinical services, and coordination.
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