Dr. Ngashi Ngongo from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) revealed that only half of Africa's required mpox vaccine doses are funded, with Sierra Leone and Uganda facing significant shortages.

The continent needs 6.4 million doses to combat multiple outbreaks, but funding is still needed for 3.5 million doses, Ngongo stated during a media briefing.

Sierra Leone requested 280,000 doses but only received 50,000, while Uganda received half of their request. These countries, along with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), account for 86% of all mpox cases in Africa.

Public Citizen, a non-profit consumer advocacy organization, has called on Bavarian Nordic to reduce the price of the MVA-BN mpox vaccine to address the shortage. The high price of $65 per dose is a barrier to the response efforts in Africa, according to Public Citizen's Peter Maybarduk.

UNICEF, facing its own funding challenges, is unable to cover the cost of the remaining doses from its supply agreement with Bavarian Nordic. The loss of US funding has dealt a significant blow to global vaccination efforts, emphasizing the need for renewed commitments to public health.

While mpox cases are decreasing, there is concern about a drop in testing rates in the DRC, potentially masking the true situation. Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia, and Malawi are still grappling with mpox outbreaks.

Cholera remains a pressing issue in 21 African countries, with nearly 150,000 cases reported this year. Angola has seen a reduction in cases, while the WHO has launched a cholera vaccination campaign in response to the escalating crisis in Khartoum State.