A global stockpile of mpox vaccines has been launched in a move aimed at preventing a repeat of shortages and inequalities that left poorer countries struggling to protect their populations during previous outbreaks.
The initiative, launched on August 27, is particularly important for Africa, which accounts for around two-thirds of mpox cases reported globally. The new stockpile is expected to begin operating later this month, giving countries access to vaccines during outbreaks without having to wait for doses to be secured after the emergency has escalated.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said the launch marks “an important step towards a more sustainable and equitable approach to the response to the mox outbreak”.
“By establishing a dedicated global stockpile, using an approach that has proven successful in managing other emergency vaccines, we are ensuring that countries can access them more quickly when they need them, saving lives and containing outbreaks before they spread further,” he added.
Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, said mpox could be particularly devastating for children, not only because of its physical effects but also because of the stigma, disruption to learning and fear that can accompany isolation from family and friends.
“This vital initiative will help us quickly get vaccines to children, families and communities most at risk of contracting the disease,” he said.
Jagan Chapagain, secretary general and chief executive of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), welcomed the development and said access to vaccines for all those who need them was “absolutely vital”.
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“That is why this global coordination mechanism and the vaccine stockpile are important. Both will help ensure that vaccines reach the people and communities most at risk, when and where they are needed most. This is rare good news,” he said.
This development comes as mpox continues to spread in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where governments face the additional challenge of animal-to-human transmission in addition to human-to-human transmission.
Between January 2022 and July 31, 2026, 145 countries and territories reported 190,683 confirmed cases of mox and 529 deaths.
For African health authorities, the stockpile could help address one of the most persistent problems in the global response to infectious diseases: Those facing the greatest burden are often among the last to receive the tools needed to control it.
During the 2022 mpox outbreak, low-income countries struggled to obtain vaccines while wealthier nations took steps to secure limited supplies.
The new stockpile is funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and will be coordinated by the International Coordination Group (ICG) on vaccine supply. The ICG is made up of the International Federation, Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF and the World Health Organization.
The mechanism builds on an allocation system established in 2024 during the previous Public Health Emergency of International Concern mpox to ensure countries can access vaccines more quickly and equitably during outbreaks.
Mpox is primarily transmitted through close physical contact, including sexual contact. However, in some parts of Africa transmission from animals to humans continues to pose a threat, creating opportunities for new outbreaks and complicating efforts to contain the disease.
The disease can be particularly severe in children and people with weakened immune systems. Its impact can also extend beyond the disease itself, contributing to stigma, isolation and disruption to schooling, while putting additional pressure on already stretched health systems.
For Africa, where the majority of reported global mox cases continue to occur, the importance of the new stockpile will ultimately depend on how quickly vaccines can move from the global stockpile to communities facing outbreaks.
The initiative offers a possible step from scrambling for vaccines after an outbreak has escalated to having doses available ahead of time. But ensuring those vaccines reach the most at-risk people will require strict surveillance, rapid allocation, effective delivery systems, and sustained support to African health systems.
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