Rwanda has initiated Africa’s first mpox vaccination campaign, a significant advancement in the continent’s battle against the disease. As of Tuesday, the country has administered 300 doses of the vaccine to high-risk individuals in a border area near the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC), announced the start of the campaign, emphasizing the urgent need to control the outbreak. “This outbreak must be stopped very quickly,” Kaseya stated.
He also highlighted the importance of local vaccine production, noting that efforts are underway to collaborate with manufacturers and partners to ensure vaccines are produced in Africa.
The Rwandan Ministry of Health has prioritized health workers, cross-border business operators, hospitality staff, and other high-risk groups for the initial vaccination rollout.
The DRC continues to be the epicenter of the African mpox outbreak, reporting 2,912 new cases and 14 deaths in the past week, totaling 6,105 cases and 738 deaths since January. The DRC plans to start its vaccination campaign in early October, having already received 165,000 doses with more promised by European countries.
Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasized the need for international cooperation to curb the virus’s spread, stating, “International collaboration and support are needed to stop the spread of the virus” on X (formerly Twitter).
Other African countries, including Nigeria, have also received vaccine donations. In August, the United States donated 10,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to Nigeria via USAID to support efforts to contain the outbreak.