Brazzaville – World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) experts gathered in Brazzaville this week with country representatives and partners to provide guidance for the development of targeted mpox vaccine preparedness and deployment plans to ensure that available doses are used efficiently.

In anticipation of further mpox vaccine deliveries to the African region in the coming months, countries had requested support on identifying and mapping mpox hotspots, areas with high numbers of mpox cases, based on the local epidemiology and the planning of targeted vaccination strategies to reach at risk of mpox populations. 

“Given the ongoing difficulties with bringing the outbreak under control using traditional public health measures, the need for effective mpox vaccine preparedness and deployment plans has become urgent. With the mpox vaccine supply constraints, countries will need to develop very targeted deployment plans, guided by local epidemiology,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. 

More than 120 participants from 17 countries along with partners from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Agency for International Development, and with support from Canada participated in the 5 - 7 November 2024 Regional Mpox Vaccine Preparedness and Deployment Plan Development meeting.

During the meeting, WHO and Africa CDC experts provided countries with the most up to date information on current WHO recommendations and a set of tools to guide mpox vaccination plan development.

Both organizations have made concerted efforts to help countries acquire vaccines amid ongoing outbreaks. WHO added the MVA-BN vaccine to its prequalification list on 13 September 2024; and established an Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) to facilitate better access to vaccines, treatments and tests where they are most needed. 

Mpox vaccine deployments were delayed on the continent and the supply is likely to remain limited in the near- to medium-term. However, recently 3 countries in the African Region - Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria received a total of  280 000 doses. Initial vaccination efforts have started in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and more than 50 000 doses have been administered. 

"The swift actions of countries across Africa to roll out targeted mpox vaccination strategies reflect an extraordinary commitment to protect those most vulnerable. Achieving this progress within a short window of time underscores the ambition and resilience of our member states to halt transmission and safeguard at-risk populations. This momentum speaks to the power of collaboration across the continent and with our global partners. Africa CDC remains unwavering in its support, equipping countries with essential tools, guidance, and resources to drive impactful progress in controlling mpox," said Dr Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC, Director General. 

WHO and Africa CDC, and other partners are working together in the Continental IMST to support countries to prepare for and respond to mpox outbreaks, not just through vaccination, but also in areas such as diagnostics, case management, risk communication and community engagement.

The collaboration between agencies comes at a critical time, as mpox cases continue to rise on the continent and new cases are reported outside Africa. As of 6 November, more than 11 000 laboratory-confirmed cases had been reported since the start of 2024. Four countries (South Africa, Guinea, Cameroon and Gabon) in October 2024 moved to the ‘controlled phase’ after reporting no new cases for six weeks. Fourteen other countries are currently experiencing active outbreaks in Africa. 

The regional meeting focused on support for the following countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.