Germany Donates 100,000 Mpox Vaccine Doses to Combat Outbreaks in Africa

On Monday, Germany announced that it would provide 100,000 doses of the mpox vaccine—currently in stock—to African nations experiencing serious outbreaks of the disease.

A government official stated that the objective of this contribution is to assist the affected countries in better managing the situation and to help contain the mpox outbreak in the short term.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is incorporating Germany's donation into a larger plan to help stop the spread of the mpox virus.

According to Reuters, the German government is further demonstrating its commitment to global health by planning to support its partners in Africa through the GAVI vaccination alliance and by providing the WHO with flexible financial resources through various tools.

The German army is responsible for maintaining the country's existing supply of 117,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine, which was acquired in 2022. The Ministry of Defence has stated that a minimum reserve will be maintained to safeguard travelling officials and staff. It further notes that decisions on reordering vaccines will be made on an individual basis, depending on future needs.

A lot of work is going into ensuring that the immunisations reach the affected areas as soon as possible.

A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry stated that while the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the primary target, extra supplies will also be sent to Burundi and other nearby East African nations where the outbreak has spread.

The current humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where worsening conditions have led to a rise in cholera infections—nearly 600 cases have been documented since July—has exacerbated the mpox epidemic.

The correlation between these various crises underscores the urgent need for concerted global efforts to tackle the region's short- and long-term public health challenges.