The Democratic Republic of Congo has formally requested Japan to donate at least 2 million doses of the mpox vaccine, according to health officials from Congo and Africa’s leading public health agency.
Japan recently confirmed that Congo had asked for mpox vaccine doses but did not specify the quantity. Ngashi Ngongo, a representative from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), stated that talks between the two nations were “quite advanced.” He emphasized that Congo is seeking the vaccine to protect vulnerable children.
Cris Kacita, who leads Congo’s mpox response team, corroborated that the country has requested over 2 million doses from Japan.
Mpox, a potentially fatal disease characterized by flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, is primarily transmitted through close physical contact. Earlier this month, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency due to the rapid spread of a new strain of mpox, known as clade Ib, originating from Congo and spreading to neighboring African nations.
Japan holds a stockpile of the LC16 mpox vaccine, produced by the Japanese firm KM Biologics. Another mpox vaccine, Jynneos, is manufactured by Denmark’s Bavarian Nordic. According to the Africa CDC, the first batch of mpox vaccines is expected to arrive in Africa during the first week of September.
Several strains of mpox continue to circulate across Africa, with Congo accounting for the majority of reported cases on the continent. As of August 26, 13 African nations reported over 22,800 mpox cases and 622 deaths this year, a sharp increase from the previous week’s total of 18,900 cases and 541 deaths across 12 countries, according to Africa CDC data.
Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya voiced concern about the continent’s lack of preparedness for another pandemic, referencing the inequities Africa faced during the COVID-19 crisis. “We didn’t have vaccines, medicines, even basic supplies like syringes and gloves. We were abandoned. Now, we find ourselves in a similar situation,” Kaseya said.
A preliminary report from Africa CDC indicated that only one African vaccine manufacturer, whose name has not been disclosed, has the potential to produce Bavarian Nordic’s mpox vaccine with the appropriate technology transfer.
