More than 50,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have been vaccinated against mpox, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Despite these efforts, the mpox outbreak remains uncontrolled, the African Union’s health watchdog warned Thursday.
Officials urged for resources to prevent a crisis more severe than Covid-19.
Over 1,100 deaths have occurred across Africa due to mpox, with around 48,000 cases reported since January, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicenter of the outbreak, initiated a vaccination campaign last month.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the vaccines were provided through donations from the United States and the European Commission.
He also confirmed that nearly 900,000 doses were allocated to nine countries this week under a WHO-led distribution mechanism.
Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, is transmitted from animals to humans and through close physical contact.
The viral disease, related to smallpox, causes fever, body aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash with blisters.
