Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has expressed grave concern over the worsening mpox situation across Africa.
In light of the declarations by the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) of a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security and a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, respectively, Gavi in a press statement sent to Chronicle NG has outlined a comprehensive plan to address the crisis.
One of the key measures approved by Gavi’s Board is the creation of a global stockpile of mpox vaccines during its upcoming five-year strategic period starting in 2026.
This stockpile according to thee organization will mirror existing reserves for cholera, Ebola, meningitis, and yellow fever vaccines. However, the implementation is contingent upon the WHO’s Emergency Use Listing or prequalification of a recommended vaccine and the successful fundraising for Gavi’s next strategic period.
“A critical goal will be ensuring the design of the stockpile is informed by a robust assessment of the long-term public health need,” the organization noted.
Recognizing the urgency, Gavi has declared the mpox situation a regional emergency, thereby enabling rapid operational support and streamlining processes. This declaration allows for the potential repurposing of available funds to support vaccine responses and the waiving of formal independent reviews for new vaccine introductions and campaigns.
Gavi is also leveraging its First Response Fund, part of the Day Zero Financing Facility, to make resources readily available for vaccine response efforts. This initiative aims to provide immediate support for direct procurement of mpox vaccines and assist with country readiness and other critical aspects of the vaccine response.
To expedite vaccine availability, Gavi has intensified its engagement with vaccine manufacturers such as Bavarian Nordic. “Gavi has accelerated engagement with manufacturers… for potential direct procurement of mpox vaccines in support of outbreak response,” the statement said.
Additionally, Gavi is facilitating dose donations, drawing on its experience coordinating the supply of nearly 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to 114 countries. The alliance is working closely with partners, including the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to design a phased vaccine response strategy tailored to the available supply of donated doses.
The statement further highlights Gavi’s readiness to focus on improving the data available on the mpox disease burden and epidemiology. The organization is supporting surveillance and modeling studies to inform future vaccination efforts and the design of the global stockpile.
“Following recent developments, Gavi is in the process of working with partners to finalize the design of this agenda, with the aim to issue a Request for Proposals as soon as possible,” Gavi stated.
Gavi also in the statement said it is actively collaborating with countries, Africa CDC, WHO, UNICEF, donors, and manufacturers to monitor the mpox situation and support the response. “Our actions include rapid operational support… and leveraging new innovative mechanisms to support the overall response,” Gavi emphasized.
With these measures, Gavi aims to enhance the international response to the mpox emergency and ensure a coordinated effort to mitigate the impact of the disease across the African continent.
