Uganda allocated more 110,000 doses of Mpox vaccine

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Uganda has been allocated another 110,000 doses of the Bavarian Nordic mpox vaccine in the ongoing response to the mpox outbreak in the country and across the continent.

The vaccines have been availed, through the Mpox Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM), coordinated by the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in collaboration with key global health partners.

“This donation of vaccines will significantly strengthen Uganda’s outbreak response and support our collective efforts to ensure timely and equitable access to life-saving tools across Africa.”  Dr Jean Kaseya, the General of Africa CDC, said on Tuesday. 

Africa CDCs director general, Dr Jean Kaseya.

He further noted that sustained collaboration with partners is vital to achieving a continent that is prepared, self-reliant, and resilient against public health threats.

With this new contribution, Bavarian Nordic has now committed a total of 165,000 doses of its MVA-BN vaccine to Africa. Previous donations have supported outbreak response efforts through Africa CDC, the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), and Gavi-eligible countries.

The deputy Incident Manager, IMST Africa CDC, Prof. Yap BOUM II who said that the contribution significantly increases vaccine availability in Uganda and strengthens the continent’s ability to respond swiftly and equitably to ongoing outbreaks.

Uganda, he said, is one of the countries most affected by the Mpox. The Ministry of Health declared an official outbreak on August 2, 2024.

During an interview with the New Vision, the Mpox incident commander at the Health Ministry, Dr Henry Bosa Kyobe, confirmed the development.



Dr Kyobe said the target recipients for the vaccine are the high-risk and at-risk populations, for example, commercial sex workers, among others.

The national Mpox situation report indicates that by September 30, 2025, Uganda had registered a cumulative 8,167 confirmed Mpox cases and 50 deaths occurring among confirmed cases, with nearly half (46%) of whom were co-infected with HIV. An equal number of deaths occurred among males and females (25 each). Among the male deaths, 72% (18/25) were below 30 years of age.

A total of 120 districts (82%) have reported at least one case Mpox since the beginning of the outbreak, and 28 districts (19%) have reported new cases in the past 21 days prior to September 30, 2025.

Mpox situation in Africa

As of epidemiological week 41, a total of 30 member states had been affected. Meanwhile, the cumulative number of suspected cases between 2024 and 2025 rose to 202,936, while a total of 55,263 Mpox cases had been confirmed, and 276 deaths from confirmed cases.

Understanding Mpox

Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It spreads mainly through close contact with someone who has the disease, causing a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. It can make people very sick and leave scars.

The virus is found in wild animals such as squirrels, rats, mice, and monkeys that can spread to people and takes five to 21 days for the infected person to develop signs and symptoms, also termed as incubation period.

Mpox spreads through contact with an infected person, through touch, kissing, or sex intercourse.

You can contract the disease by sharing contaminated sheets, clothes, bedding and sharp instruments, for example, needles. Infected pregnant women can pass the virus on to their unborn baby, notes the deputy incident commander at the Ministry of Health, Dr Bernard Lubwama.

Background

On August 14, 2024, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern. This was the second time in two years that reclassified Mpox to this highest level of response.

The global alert was preceded by a declaration by the African CDC on August 13, 2024, recognising Mpox as a public health emergency of continental security. These declarations underline the seriousness of the situation and the need for concerted efforts to curb the spread of the disease.