by Jennifer Rigby
LONDON: Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have approved the use of two types of nuclear bombs. Ampox Vaccines trying to cope with the surge in Affairs And a dangerous new virus is spreading in the country.
Since the beginning of last year, there have been 20,000 cases of ampox in Congo and more than 1,000 deaths, most of them children.
The disease is a viral infection that spreads through close contact, causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled sores. Most cases are mild but it can be fatal. This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) and scientists warned of the spread of a new, more deadly strain in Congo’s South Kivu province.
The regulator has issued emergency use authorization for both Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine, Geneos, and the LC16 manufactured by KM Biologics, according to documents and sources involved in the process.
The first human case of ampox was reported in 1970 in Congo, one of the world’s poorest countries, but the country has never had vaccines or treatments to combat the disease outside of clinical trials. It was not until 2022 that both tools became widely available in European countries and the United States. the outbreak A less severe form of ampox has been reported to be spreading globally. In the latest outbreak in Congo, a less severe form of ampox has been reported, due to national and international regulatory barriers, shortages of medicines and other health services. GrantCompeting disease outbreaks and stigma have inhibited response.
Sania Nishtar, chief executive of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, told Reuters last week that her organization was ready to use COVID-19-era protocols to facilitate vaccine donations from the United States and Japan once approval is granted. A spokesman for Bavarian Nordic confirmed the approval in Congo on Wednesday. KM Biologics said by email it had a potential supply of the vaccine to Congo but had no other details to share.
Although Congolese authorities The vaccines have been approved, but Gavi, which finances the purchase of vaccines for low-income countries that are unable to do so alone, cannot purchase them without obtaining “prequalification” by the World Health Organization, a form of approval.
In the absence of approval, Gavi relies on donated vaccines.
“I cannot tell you how long it will take to get the doses on the ground because we depend on many other factors, especially the donor countries,” Nishtar said.
The WHO spokesperson said the agency is working closely with vaccine manufacturers on the approval process. He urged countries to move forward with their respective approvals and also provide more data to the WHO to move the process forward.
Other challenges in tackling the epidemic in Congo include the stigma associated with the disease, which is spread through close contact, including sexual contact.
Chris Kasita, who leads Mpox’s national operations in Congo, told Reuters that financing is also an issue.
He said $84 million is needed for action in the highest-risk provinces, but only $8 million has been raised.
(Reporting by Jennifer Rigby, Sonia Rowley and Rocky Swift; Editing by Barbara Lewis and Matthew Lewis)
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