Spain to donate 500 000 mpox vaccine doses to Africa

 Spain will donate 500 000 mpox vaccine doses to combat an outbreak of the disease in Africa, the Health Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Spain has notified the European Commission that it will donate 20% of its stock of the vaccine, or 100 000 vials, which would provide 500 000 doses.

The World Health Organisation has declared mpox a global public health emergency, after an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo spread to neighbouring countries and a new form of the virus, clade Ib, triggered concerns about the speed of transmission.

Meanwhile, last week Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni reassured the public that the mpox outbreak is under control.

The outbreak has thus far claimed the lives of three people out of the 24 that have been infected.

Ntshavheni says people should maintain basic hygiene to help prevent the spread of mpox.