By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria has become the first African country to receive vaccines to combat the worrying outbreak of Mpox, with the country getting 10,000 doses.
The country began the process to secure the vaccines well before it was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this month.
Nigeria received its vaccine doses as a donation from the US.
It has confirmed at least 40 Mpox cases this year but says the true number could be more than 700. However, it has not recorded a single death.
Although Nigeria doesn’t have the highest case, it will lead African countries that have been hit hardest by the recent rapid spread of Mpox.
Nigeria has also not recorded any cases of Clade 1b, a new variant in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo that has also spread to neighbouring countries.
DR Congo, located in central Africa, has recorded more than 18,000 suspected cases of Mpox and 615 deaths this year.
There are still no Mpox-specific vaccines but smallpox ones work against the disease – and are being manufactured by two pharmaceutical companies.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 10 million doses are needed across the continent, with DR Congo being the most in need.
Clade 1b has caused concern among governments, scientists and international health bodies, but it is currently unclear just how deadly and contagious the variant is.
Mpox can be fatal if left untreated and causes symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and lesions across the body.
The process of getting the first jabs to Africa has been slow, with critics saying the WHO’s regulatory process poses a major challenge.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said it had also donated 50,000 doses to DR Congo but a delivery date had not been released.
