US-based multinational biopharmaceutical company Emergent BioSolutions announced on Monday that it would donate 50,000 doses of its small vaccine ACAM2000 to African countries impacted by the Mpox outbreak.
Emergent said the pledge will be executed through the humanitarian relief organization Direct Relief. Target countries include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi.
The biopharmaceutical company also announced its proactive partnership with the U.S. government and the World Health Organization (WHO) to address rising cases of Mpox across Central Africa.
Emergent’s pledge follows the WHO’s August 14 declaration of Mpox as a public health emergency not only for African countries but for the global community. WHO also declared its partnership with countries and other key stakeholders to ensure equitable access to diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.
When making the announcement, Emergent BioSolutions Chief Executive Officer Joe Papa said “As the WHO has declared, the Mpox outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern, and Emergent is ready to scale up response efforts and partner with U.S. and global public health leaders.”
“The increasing outbreaks of mpox around the world should raise concerns and spur ongoing efforts to produce and stockpile vaccines and treatments to address all orthopox viruses, including Mpox and smallpox,” he added.
According to the latest data from the Africa CDC, the number of cases in different African countries has increased by 160% since 2023. The agency also reported a 19% surge in Mpox fatalities since last year.
Democratic Republic of Congo account for 96.3% and 87% of all cases and fatalities respectively in 2024. Kenya reported its first case in July this year.
