EU and Africa to ramp up Mpox testing
August 1, 2025
Amid vaccine shortages and low testing rates, the European Commission and Africa CDC have launched the €9.4 million PAMTA initiative to expand mpox diagnostics across Africa. This EU-funded effort aims to provide over 150,000 tests and foster local kit manufacturing to address rising case numbers, particularly in the DRC. While 2.9 million vaccines were pledged globally, only 664,000 people have been vaccinated, falling far short of the 6.4 million doses needed. PAMTA marks a strategic shift—underscoring EU–Africa collaboration on public health resilience and the importance of timely testing, manufacturing, and surveillance to manage outbreaks.
With mpox cases rising again in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and vaccine supplies strained in key hotspots like Uganda and Sierra Leone, the European Commission and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have launched the Partnership to Accelerate Mpox Testing and Sequencing in Africa (PAMTA). Funded under the EU4Health 2024 Work Programme, PAMTA aims to deliver over 150,000 diagnostic tests while also supporting the local production and validation of testing kits across Africa.
This initiative comes one year after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and as the international community struggles to meet demand. Of the 2.9 million vaccine doses pledged globally, fewer than 700,000 have been administered as of mid-June 2025—well below the 6.4 million required between March and August. Testing remains particularly low in the DRC, where cases have spiked nearly 20% in recent weeks, making timely diagnostics and community-based surveillance critical.
While countries like Spain, France, and Germany have pledged over 700,000 doses through the EU’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), slow rollout echoes delays experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. PAMTA represents a broader commitment by the EU to support Africa’s new public health order and aligns with its global health strategy, which includes support for the African Medicines Agency to strengthen pharmaceutical regulation.
Africa CDC officials stress that increasing diagnostics and surveillance capacity is essential to interrupt transmission and prevent further spread. As Dr. Ngashi Ngongo of Africa CDC warns, vaccine access alone is insufficient—robust diagnostics, data, and preparedness systems are equally vital. PAMTA is a welcome step toward sustainable outbreak response, exemplifying how cross-continental cooperation can bridge equity gaps and improve global health security.