The Commission coordinates the delivery of 122,300 vaccines to support the response to the mpox outbreak in the DRC
November 14, 2024
The European Union is intensifying its support for Africa’s mpox response, coordinating a shipment of 122,300 vaccine doses to the Africa CDC. This includes an initial 100,000-dose donation from Germany, arriving in the Democratic Republic of Congo today. In total, the EU and its Member States have pledged 580,000 vaccines, with 205,000 doses already delivered. Alongside these donations, the EU has provided €1.5 million in humanitarian aid and deployed epidemiologists to support local efforts in high-risk regions. EU leaders emphasize that a swift, coordinated response is essential to mitigate mpox’s impact on health systems and vulnerable communities.
The European Union is bolstering Africa’s mpox response with a coordinated shipment of 122,300 vaccine doses donated by Belgium, Germany, and Portugal. An initial 100,000 doses from Germany are arriving in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) today, part of a larger EU commitment to donate 580,000 vaccines to the Africa CDC. Over 205,000 doses have already been delivered, with further donations from EU Member States planned in the coming weeks. In partnership with UNICEF, these vaccines are being transported to affected regions, highlighting the EU’s dedication to global health collaboration.
Since the mpox virus’s resurgence in 2024, the EU has not only facilitated vaccine donations but has also mobilized €1.5 million in humanitarian funding to assist the DRC, Burundi, and Uganda. Recognizing the strain on local health systems, four epidemiologists from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) were deployed to the DRC, the epicenter of Africa’s mpox outbreak, to strengthen local response efforts.
EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, praised the coordinated response as a demonstration of EU solidarity. “The ongoing mpox emergency is a threat to global health,” he remarked, noting the importance of supporting health systems in affected regions. Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides echoed this, emphasizing the EU’s “tangible contribution” to fighting the outbreak, with a total of 350,000 additional doses expected across Africa in November.
This comprehensive response underscores the EU’s commitment to timely and effective action in global health crises. Through vaccine donations, humanitarian aid, and on-ground expertise, the EU and its partners are playing a critical role in mitigating mpox’s spread and strengthening the resilience of health systems in Africa’s most impacted regions.