Nigeria Receives 10,000 Mpox Vaccine Doses from US Amid Ongoing African Health Crisis

Nigeria has received a significant boost in its fight against mpox, with the arrival of 10,000 vaccine doses donated by the United States. This comes amid a broader waiting game for other African nations, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), which has been grappling with a severe outbreak. While Nigeria has confirmed 40 cases this year, health officials estimate the actual number could be more than 700, underscoring the urgency of the situation. Despite the rising case numbers, Nigeria has reported no deaths from mpox, a disease that, if left untreated, can be fatal. The country has also been fortunate not to encounter Clade 1b, a new variant that has emerged in DR Congo and has raised alarms among health authorities. In stark contrast, DR Congo has recorded over 18,000 suspected mpox cases this year, resulting in a harrowing 615 deaths. Currently, there are no specific vaccines for mpox; however, existing smallpox vaccines are effective against the virus. Two pharmaceutical companies are manufacturing these smallpox vaccines, with Nigeria planning to prioritize health workers and at-risk communities across the 13 states affected during its vaccination campaign. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that the continent requires around 10 million doses of the mpox vaccine, with DR Congo being the most urgent case. Clade 1b has raised concerns due to its potential to spread and become more lethal, although its exact impact remains uncertain. Critics have pointed to the slow pace of vaccine distribution in Africa, attributing it in part to the World Health Organization's (WHO) regulatory processes, which some describe as excessively cautious. Many low- and middle-income countries depend on the WHO for approving medications, yet the organization has not officially authorized the two available vaccines, citing a lack of necessary data for a comprehensive review. Professor Helen Rees, an adviser to the WHO and Africa CDC, criticized the organization's regulatory framework, stating it is "not fit for purpose in an emergency." She emphasized the need for international health bodies to reevaluate their approval processes, particularly in times of urgent need. The WHO recently requested vaccine manufacturers to express interest in obtaining emergency licenses for mpox vaccines, which would allow for expedited approvals—a process that many health officials believe should have started much earlier. The recent shipment of vaccines to Nigeria, rather than DR Congo, is attributed to proactive measures taken by Nigerian health officials following the 2022 outbreak. At a press conference in Abuja, US Ambassador Richard Mills commended Nigeria's efforts to manage the outbreak effectively. The US Agency for International Development (USAid) has also pledged an additional 50,000 doses to DR Congo, though the timeline for delivery remains unclear. Despite this initial delivery, experts like Professor Rees highlight that delays could have been minimized if wealthier nations had contributed vaccines sooner. Many affected countries have stockpiles of vaccines intended for domestic use, but in a global health crisis, the need for collective responsibility and support cannot be overstated. Rees remarked that during a global emergency, nations should reassess their stockpiles and consider how they can contribute to the global fight against diseases like mpox. The arrival of vaccines in Nigeria marks a crucial step forward, but the broader continent remains in a precarious situation as it waits for additional doses to combat this emerging threat.