WHO authorizes vaccine to fight epidemic in Africa

This decision, announced on Friday, is a major step forward in the global strategy to combat this viral disease which is particularly prevalent in Africa. According to Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, this prequalification is “An important step” in the fight against MPOXboth in the context of current epidemics and for the management of future risks.

MPOX, a viral disease transmitted from animals to humansbut also between humans, causes fever, muscle pain and skin lesions. The recent resurgence of this disease in Africa has affected several countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Given the seriousness of the situation, WHO has triggered on August 14, its highest level of global health alert.

Key prequalification to accelerate access to vaccines

The prequalification of the vaccine MVA-BN by WHO allows to speed up the process of ordering and distributing the serum in the most affected countriesWith this approval, specialized UN agencies, such as UNICEF and the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), as well as governments, can now act faster to secure vaccine doses. As Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines, pointed out, this prequalification “will help…

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