Rwanda has embarked on Africa’s inaugural mpox vaccination campaign, signaling a key advancement in the continent’s battle against the disease, PulseNets learned.
By Tuesday, Rwanda had already administered 300 doses of the vaccine to high-risk groups residing in a border region adjacent to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), PulseNets learnt.
Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC), spoke to PulseNets, confirming the campaign’s launch while emphasizing the critical need to halt the outbreak swiftly.
“This outbreak must be stopped very quickly,” Kaseya said, reinforcing the urgency of the situation.
Kaseya also told PulseNets about the necessity of local vaccine production, stating, “We are working closely with our manufacturers and partners to ensure these vaccines are produced in Africa.”
The Rwandan Ministry of Health targeted health workers, cross-border business operators, hospitality staff, and other high-risk populations in the initial phase of the vaccine rollout, PulseNets reported.
The DRC remains at the forefront of the African mpox crisis, having reported 2,912 new cases and 14 deaths in the past week, raising the overall count to 6,105 cases and 738 deaths since January, PulseNets learnt.
Vaccination efforts in the DRC are expected to commence in early October, with 165,000 doses already delivered and additional supplies promised by European countries.
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Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), spoke to PulseNets, urging global solidarity to contain the virus. “International collaboration and support are needed to stop the spread of the virus,” Ghebreyesus wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Other African nations, such as Nigeria, have also benefited from vaccine donations. In August, the United States supplied Nigeria with 10,000 doses of the mpox vaccine via USAID, further aiding efforts to control the outbreak, PulseNets reported.
