New batches of monkeypox vaccines have arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is the epicenter of the outbreak. The country has received 50,000 doses donated by the United States, in addition to 200,000 doses donated by the European Union last week

U.S. Ambassador to the DRC, Lucy Tamlin, announced on the platform "X" that the U.S. donated 50,000 vaccine doses, including 15,000 doses funded by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). Meanwhile, another shipment of 100,000 doses donated by the European Union arrived at Kinshasa airport

Thus, the DRC has received a total of 265,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine, produced by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic. The country is scheduled to begin its vaccination campaign against the virus next month

It is worth noting that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most affected by the monkeypox virus worldwide, accounting for 91% of the total cases in Africa, which have reached 5,549 confirmed cases since the beginning of 2024, with 643 deaths related to the virus

In light of these conditions, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have launched a continental response plan aimed at enhancing surveillance, laboratory testing, and community engagement in 14 countries, with $600 million allocated to combat the outbreak