The European Commission, via its Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), delivered 10,000 doses of the MVA-BN® vaccine to Uganda to support the country’s response to the ongoing mpox outbreak.
This delivery is part of over 215,000 doses donated by HERA to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to address the current crisis across the African continent, and follows the delivery of 200,000 mpox vaccines to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in September and 5,420 mpox vaccines to Rwanda in October.
In total the Commission is coordinating over 605,000 vaccine donations pledged to Africa CDC via a Team Europe approach. In addition to the HERA donated doses, so far Team Europe has delivered 135,500 vaccines from Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Portugal, with the remainder from other EU Member States underway.
These actions reflect the Commission and Team Europe’s broader work to strengthen preparedness and response capacities for both current and future health emergencies, to swiftly address emerging health threats through coordinated intervention and close cooperation with affected nations.
Laurent Muschel, Head of HERA, said: “We made a commitment to address the mpox outbreak in close cooperation with our partners. The 10,000 vaccine doses from HERA will help Uganda to tackle this deadly disease. We cannot fight these health threats alone – solidarity between continents is essential. We will continue to work on all fronts with our partners to ensure protection of vulnerable populations through Team Europe’s global response.”
H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of Africa CDC, remarked: “Strong partnerships and coordinated efforts will ensure this outbreak is effectively contained and that vulnerable populations are protected. The delivery of these vaccines highlights the power of collaboration in addressing health emergencies and building a healthier, more secure future for Africa. Together with the European Commission and Team Europe, we are making significant strides to safeguard vulnerable communities and strengthen Africa’s health security.”
