The Commission is coordinating and financing the delivery and transport of 122,300 vaccine doses donated by Belgium, Germany and Portugal to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) as part of its response to the Mpox epidemic. A first shipment of 100,000 doses donated by Germany is expected to arrive today, November 14, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This delivery is part of the overall commitment by the EU and its Member States to donate 580,000 Mpox vaccines to the Africa CDC, including more than 205,000 doses already donated. Further shipments from other EU member states are expected in the coming weeks. The donated vaccines will be transported by the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), based on a partnership with the Commission.
The EU has been active since the first wave of the virus. Since July 2024, in addition to the delivery of vaccines, the Commission has provided €1.5 million in humanitarian aid to help the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Uganda deal with the Mpox epidemic.
Additionally, the EU deployed four epidemiologists from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is the epicenter of this outbreak in the African region.
John SlothCommissioner responsible for crisis management, declared: “The current Mpox emergency poses a threat to global health and strains the capacity of local health systems. I thank the Member States who are offering their support and demonstrating EU solidarity through their donations. The EU joins its efforts to stem the epidemic and remains committed to helping the DRC and all countries affected by this epidemic. »
Stella KyriakidesCommissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “In a strong European Health Union, a public health emergency requires a rapid and coordinated response. In addition to the 215,000 doses donated by HERA through Team Europe, the Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, almost 350,000 additional doses will be shipped to Africa throughout the month of november. This is EU solidarity in action and a tangible contribution to the global response to combat this deadly disease. »
More information available online on our website and here.
