Why are MPOC vaccines taking so long to reach Africa?
- September 7, 2024
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[Síguenos ahora también en Whatsapp. Da clic aquí] If you don’t look closely, you might think it’s living in a state of “déjà vu”: infectious disease, mpox (formerly known
[Síguenos ahora también en Whatsapp. Da clic aquí]
If you don’t look closely, you might think it’s living in a state of “déjà vu”: infectious disease, mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), is causing an international health crisis, but there are no vaccines on the entire continent of Africa to protect more than 1.2 billion people.
In addition to financial difficulties, logistical problems and the lack of local production, Africa faces another obstacle to immunizing its population against HIV: the World Health Organization’s complex regulatory framework. (WHO), which countries in the global south depend on for vaccine approval.
For decades, the continent has received the vast majority of these drugs through international mechanisms such as the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which can purchase larger quantities and thus obtain lower prices.
However, Both GAVI and UNICEF require one of two essential conditions: that the WHO formally endorse the vaccine. (a process that can take years) or grant emergency use authorization.
But the organization did not activate the process for the second option until early Augustwhen the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicentre of the current outbreak, had already recorded hundreds of deaths and thousands of cases, a move that has been criticised by experts and activists.
“In 2022, when mpox was declared a public health emergency of international concern, the WHO emergency use authorization application process could not be activated.” because the organization “did not have full information from the manufacturers,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told EFE.
Now both Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic and Japanese company KM Biologics, makers of the two available smallpox vaccines originally created against smallpox, have submitted all the documentation and WHO plans to make a decision in the middle of this month.
Dr Ayoade Alakija, co-chair of the African Union (AU) Equitable Access to Vaccines Initiative, expressed regret in statements EFE:
From HIV to smallpox, we have seen that the global health system is designed to care less about black lives, and only when a threat is likely to affect high-income countries is action taken.
Vaccines only in Nigeria and DRC.
Four years after the Covid-19 pandemic hit the planetWHO declared the status of the disease on August 14 for the second time since 2022 international health warning from mpox.
He thus followed in the footsteps of the African Union (AU) public health agency, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which had declared him its own a day earlier the first “public health emergency on the continent.”
“We don’t want to see any problems with regard to the rapid distribution of vaccines in Africa”said Jean Casey, director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in late August.
But the truth is that, outside of clinical trials, the first vaccines against MPOCs have failed. They arrived in the DRC until this Thursday, when they landed in the country 100,000 doses donated by the European Union (EUROPEAN UNION).
Before, one On August 27, Nigeria received a donation of 10,000 doses from the United States.but this delivery was not related to the current outbreak, but rather was the result of conversations that had been going on for many years.
Not only has GAVI announced its readiness to begin immunization for several months, but also Bavarian Nordic, whose vaccine is the only one approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Thus, the company states that could provide Africa with 10 million vaccines by the end of 2025 and two million this yearbut he insisted he needed WHO permission to arrive on time.
Faced with pressure, WHO granted its partners an exceptional grant two weeks ago permission to begin the vaccine procurement process while the organization completes its assessment.
Donations
In parallel with the WHO approval, An alternative for Africa is donations from rich countries that have accumulated large stockpiles of vaccines.It’s a rocky road because it could be interrupted if these countries decide to save doses for their citizens.
This has already happened during Covid-19, when African leaders and WHO condemns ‘vaccine hoarding’
Still EU announces donation of 215,000 dosesAdded to this will be 100,000 vials to vaccinate 500,000 people promised by Spain, 100,000 doses promised by France and another 15,000 doses announced by Bavarian Nordic itself.
Except, US pledges to send 50,000 vaccines to DRC and the Congolese government has asked Japan to donate two million doses of the Japanese drug.
Now, “transforming vaccines into vaccinations (…) must become a top priority, because one of the main lessons of Covid-19 was that countries are not always ready to roll out (…) at short notice,” he warned. EFE Derrick Sim, General Manager, Vaccines Markets, GAVI.
EFE
Source: Aristegui Noticias
As an experienced journalist and author, Mary has been reporting on the latest news and trends for over 5 years. With a passion for uncovering the stories behind the headlines, Mary has earned a reputation as a trusted voice in the world of journalism. Her writing style is insightful, engaging and thought-provoking, as she takes a deep dive into the most pressing issues of our time.
