GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that mpox vaccines will soon arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to combat a new virus strain. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the first vaccine delivery is expected within days, with more doses to follow.

WHO official Tim Nguyen mentioned that 230,000 mpox vaccine doses, donated by the European Commission and Danish manufacturer Bavarian Nordic, are ready to be shipped. To speed up vaccinations in Africa, WHO is allowing its partners to buy mpox vaccines even before they are officially approved. Emergency licences for vaccines from Bavarian Nordic and Japan’s KM Biologics are expected in the next two weeks.

WHO’s Rosamund Lewis expressed hope that vaccines and other health interventions will help reduce mpox cases soon. Additionally, an mpox diagnostic manufacturer has shown interest in obtaining WHO’s emergency use listing for their test kits.

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Earlier this month, WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency following an outbreak in the DRC, which spread to nearby countries. So far this year, over 18,000 suspected mpox cases have been reported in the DRC, leading to 629 deaths. Additionally, more than 150 cases have been confirmed in Burundi.