First mpox vaccines due in DR Congo on Thursday

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00:00It's a much-anticipated vaccine, which is finally on its way to the Democratic Republic

00:05of Congo. The WHO announced the imminent deployment of the first batch of Mpox doses.

00:11DRC's Ministry of Health plans to begin deploying the vaccines this weekend. WHO is working

00:20with our partners to coordinate vaccine demands, share information on those doses available

00:27and ensure those doses are directed to areas where they can contribute to controlling the

00:33outbreak.

00:35The Mpox vaccine was donated by the European Union to the Democratic Republic of Congo,

00:40with over 19,000 cases and more than 650 deaths reported since the beginning of the year.

00:47It is the hardest-hit country on the African continent, where in total 16 countries have

00:52reported an Mpox outbreak.

00:55Previously known as monkeypox, this infectious disease was discovered in 1958. It is transmitted

01:01to humans by infected animals, but can be passed from human to human through close physical

01:06contact. The disease causes symptoms like a fever, muscle pains and painful skin lesions.

01:12The fatality rate ranges from 1 to 11 percent.

01:15The WHO, which had declared an emergency over the spread of an Mpox strain two years ago,

01:20had lifted the alert in 2023.

01:24But the resurgence of the virus, fuelled by the new, more contagious and deadlier strain,

01:28clad 1B, prompted the WHO to activate its highest level of alert last month.

01:34Other countries like Spain have pledged to send as many as 500,000 doses and France and

01:40Germany 100,000 each.

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