World better equipped for mpox than Covid, says vaccine alliance

The global response to the ongoing mpox epidemic in Africa is significantly stronger thanks to lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Gavi vaccine alliance.

Sania Nishtar, Gavi’s Chief Executive, stated that the Covid crisis provided "important learnings" that are now being applied to tackle mpox. In an interview with AFP, the former Pakistani health minister explained that these lessons have led to the development of "specific instruments" currently being used to fight the outbreak.

When Covid emerged in early 2020, it exposed the world’s lack of preparedness for a global health emergency, as well as highlighting the stark inequalities in vaccine distribution. Wealthy nations hoarded doses, leaving poorer regions, particularly Africa, without sufficient supplies.

While global efforts continue to establish a pandemic treaty to improve future preparedness, Gavi has already taken steps to ensure it can respond more effectively to emergencies. In June, the organisation launched a $500-million First Response Fund to provide quick access to vaccines during health crises.

Nishtar, Gavi’s first female leader since March, said that one of the key lessons from Covid was the lack of readily available funding during emergencies. On Wednesday, Gavi announced the fund’s first use in securing 500,000 doses of the MVA-BN mpox vaccine from Danish manufacturer Bavarian Nordic, intended for African nations hit hardest by the epidemic.

Gavi is utilising up to $50 million from the fund to cover vaccine costs, logistics, and distribution, ensuring a swift response to the crisis. "We're doing all we can to be as quick and responsive as possible," Nishtar emphasised.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease transmitted from animals to humans and through close contact between humans. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and skin lesions, which can be deadly in severe cases.

Last month, the World Health Organization declared mpox a global emergency following a surge in cases of the new Clade 1b strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where nearly 22,000 cases and over 700 deaths were reported between January and August.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has called for 10 million mpox vaccine doses for the continent, though just 3.6 million doses have been secured so far. Last week, the WHO pre-qualified the MVA-BN jab, fast-tracking procurement efforts by international organisations.

Nishtar praised Gavi’s rapid response, noting that just 35 days had passed between the WHO’s emergency declaration and Gavi’s advance purchase agreement for the MVA-BN vaccines—one of the quickest procurement efforts to date.

Looking ahead, Gavi plans to build a global stockpile of mpox vaccines by 2026, as it has for other diseases like cholera and Ebola. The alliance also launched a vaccine production "accelerator" for Africa, with $1.2 billion in funding over the next decade to boost the continent’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities.

"Overall, we are in a far better position than we were with Covid," Nishtar concluded.