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The Democratic Republic of Congo received its first batch of vaccines against mpoxwhich health authorities hope will help curb the outbreak, which has prompted the UN to declare a global public health emergency.

Congo is the epicentre of the outbreakwhich has spread to neighboring countries and elsewhere, but a lack of vaccines in Africa has hampered efforts to stop the spread of the sometimes deadly disease.

The plane carrying the doses, made by Bavarian Nordic and donated by the European Union, landed in the capital Kinshasa at about 1pm local time, Reuters reporters at the airport told Reuters.

This first delivery will be 99,000 doses, and a new delivery on Saturday will bring the total to 200,000 doses, said Laurent Muschel, head of the EU’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA).

What’s hot?

The delivery represents a major step to stop the outbreak mpox in Africa, particularly in Congo, where there is a serious shortage of vaccines.

What is known about mpox?

Congo, the epicentre of the recent outbreak mpoxwas waiting for a vaccine. The World Health Organization declared a global public health emergency over the outbreak last month, but containment efforts have been hampered by vaccine shortages. The vaccines delivered were produced by Bavarian Nordic and donated to the EU as part of its commitment to combat the health crisis.

Numbers

The EU has committed to distributing 215,000 vaccine doses to affected African countries. At least eight EU member states will donate a further 351,500 doses, bringing the total to at least 566,500.

What’s next in the fight against mpox?

The EU will continue to support affected African countries by strengthening health systems, securing pharmaceutical supply chains and boosting local production. A €9.4 million ($10.4 million) grant to expand access to diagnostics and sequencing is also planned for early autumn.