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Gavi delivers largest shipment yet to DRC in support of international mpox response

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  • The latest shipment of 200,000 mpox vaccine doses from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, will arrive this week in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to support outbreak response
  • As the largest contributor of vaccines to the global Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) for mpox, Gavi has provided nearly half a million doses to nine African countries to date
  • Additionally, Gavi has facilitated nearly 250,000 dose donations and made more than US$ 6.2 million available to countries to cover delivery of doses and vaccination activities

Geneva, 1 May 2025 – A new shipment of 200,000 mpox vaccines doses provided by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance will arrive this week in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in support of the country’s response to the mpox outbreak.

Mpox continues to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). DRC has been impacted by the current mpox outbreak more than any other country, with more than 20,000 cases and 49 deaths reported in the country by mid-April 2025. In response, the country has administered more than half a million mpox vaccine doses since October 2024, having now received more than 950,000 doses from various sources, including this latest shipment from Gavi.

“Beyond its strong symbolism, this delivery demonstrates the constant mobilisation of all actors involved in protecting the most vulnerable communities and preserving global health,” said Dr Samuel Roger Kamba, Minister of Health, Democratic Republic of the Congo. “The 200,000 doses of mpox vaccine received are the result of exemplary cooperation in the field of health, based on international solidarity through the strategic partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. As part of the intensification of our response to the epidemic, and based on available epidemiological data and analyses, these doses will be deployed primarily in the most affected areas. Special attention will be given to the most at-risk populations, particularly those living in regions where massive displacements due to the security situation have facilitated the spread of the disease.”

In 2024, an upsurge in mpox cases in Africa and the emergence of mpox Clade Ib led to WHO declaring mpox a PHEIC and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declaring mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. Since 2024, and as of 23 April 2025, nearly 31,000 cases have been confirmed in 24 countries in Africa and the latest mpox strain, clade Ib, has impacted 16 countries outside the African continent.

Vaccines have formed a critical part of the response to this emergency, with countries, Gavi, WHO, Africa CDC, UNICEF, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and other partners working together to enable the administration of more than 647,000 doses across the most impacted countries in Africa. Leveraging its First Response Fund, an instrument established with support from Gavi donors after the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure rapid access to vaccines and vaccination support in a major public health emergency, Gavi has a key role in the vaccine pillar of the international response.

This includes signing an advance purchase agreement with Bavarian Nordic in September 2024 within weeks of the WHO PHEIC declaration, making 500,000 doses available to countries immediately after its MVA-BN vaccine secured WHO regulatory approval. Doses through this agreement have now been delivered to DRC, Nigeria, Rwanda, Central Africa Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Kenya. Gavi has further facilitated nearly 250,000 dose donations from countries and the manufacturer, and allocated more than US$ 6.2 million to support countries’ vaccination activities, making Gavi the largest vaccine contributor to the global Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) for mpox.

“Emerging threats like mpox Clade Ib should be a warning to all of us,” said Dr Derrick Sim, Managing Director, Vaccine Markets and Health Security at Gavi. “The best way to save lives and lessen the spread and economic impact of infectious disease outbreaks worldwide is to invest in prevention and early response. Gavi is proud that, thanks to the support of our Board and donors, the resources we put in place after the pandemic are doing their job: securing rapid access to vaccines protecting the most at-risk communities in DRC and the region – which also keeps the world safe by preventing further spread. With infectious disease outbreaks on the rise, we are calling on our donors to fully fund Gavi’s mission so we can continue to save lives and protect the world from outbreaks over the next five years.”

In Gavi’s next strategic period from 2026 to 2030, it aims to create a global stockpile of mpox vaccines that can be used by all countries to swiftly respond to outbreaks. Gavi currently funds the global stockpiles of cholera, Ebola, meningitis and yellow fever vaccines. The continuation of these efforts, as well as the establishment of a global mpox stockpile, is dependent on Gavi raising least US$ 9 billion from donors for its next strategic period.

Notes to Editors

  • As of today, seven African countries have commenced vaccination against mpox: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Central Africa Republic, DRC, Uganda and Rwanda.
  • The global Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) for mpox was established as a part of the interim Medical Countermeasures Network (i-MCM-Net) whose members are Gavi, the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), UNICEF, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the EU’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, FIND, the PAHO Revolving Fund, Unitaid and others.
  • Doses from Gavi’s advance purchase agreement have been delivered to DRC (263,900), Uganda (59, 020), Sierra Leone (58, 300), Kenya (10, 700), Nigeria (18, 900), Central Africa Republic (12, 300), Côte d’Ivoire (11, 300), Rwanda (5, 800) and Liberia (10,800) – making it the largest contributor of vaccines to the AAM for mpox.
  • Gavi has provided more than US$ 6.21 million to cover in-country vaccine administration and delivery of doses procured or facilitated by the Alliance. This includes to DRC (US$ 2.7 million), Rwanda (US$ 1.5 million), Nigeria (US$ 341,709), Uganda (US$ 177,889), Cameroon (US$ 130,665) and Liberia (US$ 127,069).
  • Gavi coordinated the delivery of nearly 2 billion COVID-19 vaccines to 146 countries through COVAX. Building on lessons learned, it established several pandemic-ready instruments to support the world’s response to future emergencies, including the First Response Fund and the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator. Gavi also maintains living assessments of emerging threats that represent a high health security risk.
  • Gavi’s living assessment of mpox as well as the availability of the First Response Fund have helped it rapidly respond to the mpox emergency.

Useful information and resources:

About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organisations that fund Gavi’s work here.

Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a whole generation – over 1.1 billion children – and prevented more than 18.8 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 78 lower‑income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology – from drones to biometrics – to save lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and X (Twitter).

MEDIA CONTACTS

Meg Sharafudeen
+41 79 711 55 54
msharafudeen@gavi.org

Eunice Kilonzo-Muraya
+41 76 424 85 03
ekilonzo@gavi.org

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