In response to the escalating mpox crisis across Africa, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has unveiled several new initiatives designed to bolster the continent’s fight against the disease. These measures come as the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have both declared the outbreak a significant public health emergency.
Among the most critical new developments is Gavi’s plan to establish a global stockpile of mpox vaccines, similar to its existing reserves for diseases like cholera and Ebola. This stockpile, set to be created during Gavi’s next five-year strategic period beginning in 2026, is pending the availability of a WHO Emergency Use Listed or prequalified vaccine and successful fundraising efforts. Gavi emphasised that “a critical goal will be ensuring the design of the stockpile is informed by a robust assessment of the long-term public health need.”
“The establishment of a stockpile is pending the availability of WHO Emergency Use Listing or prequalification of a recommended vaccine, and subject to fundraising for Gavi’s next strategic period. A critical goal will be ensuring the design of the stockpile is informed by a robust assessment of the long-term public health need,” Gavi stated.
“Gavi will make critical investments in a learning agenda that will ensure the current response will help inform and improve future vaccination efforts against the disease, including the design of a global stockpile,” the organisation added.
In the meantime, Gavi said it is not waiting to act. The organisation has declared the mpox situation a regional emergency, a move that enables the rapid deployment of resources and the repurposing of funds to support the vaccine response. This immediate response also includes operational support to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring countries, where the outbreak has been particularly severe.
Another new initiative is Gavi's use of the First Response Fund, part of its recently approved Day Zero Financing Facility. This fund was specifically designed to make resources available instantly during public health emergencies, a lesson learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Gavi stated, "The First Response Fund... seeks to make resources immediately available for a vaccine response to an urgent public health emergency."
Gavi said it is also accelerating its efforts to secure vaccines by engaging with manufacturers such as Bavarian Nordic. WHO has already announced that two vaccines are under consideration for Emergency Use Listing, a critical step that would allow Gavi and its partners to act swiftly, even before the longer WHO prequalification process is completed.
In addition to these immediate actions, Gavi said it is also launching a new learning agenda aimed at improving the data available on mpox's disease burden and the effectiveness of vaccination strategies. This initiative is designed to ensure that any current response will inform future efforts, particularly in the design of the global stockpile.
Follow our coverage of the global emergency response to mpox here.