The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) issued an emergency tender to secure mpox vaccines for the crisis-hit countries in collaboration with the Bill Gates-membered GAVI vaccine alliance and others, the Africa CDC and the World Health Organisation said in a joint statement on Saturday (Aug 31).

Mpox crisis: Wider vaccine rollout in Africa could take months as UN still in tender mode

The World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on Tuesday (Aug 20) that the mpox virus, regardless of whether it was the new or old strain, was not the new coronavirus (Covid), as authorities knew how to control its spread.

Mpox is not the new Covid as authorities can control its spread, stresses WHO

Amid fears over a potential mpox global outbreak, India held a high-level meeting on Sunday (Aug 18) to assess its preparedness. The latest assessment presented at the crucial meeting led by the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary, P K Mishra, shows that since March 2024, the nation has had no reports of cases of mpox.

India's mpox update: India safe, no new cases since March; high-level meeting finds ‘low outbreak risk’

The Union Health Ministry has asked all airports as well as authorities at land ports on borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan to remain alert about incoming international passengers reporting Mpox symptoms, official sources said on Sunday.

Mpox scare: Indian govt tells international airports to be vigilant about passengers with symptoms

An outbreak of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has claimed more than 500 lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as per reports. The virus, which is rapidly spreading to neighbouring countries, has prompted fears of a global health crisis, even as over seven million displaced high-risk people in the DRC await vaccine.

Mpox crisis: WHO pushes for scaling up mpox vaccine production as death toll in DRC nears 550

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Saturday (Aug 18) that the total number of suspected or confirmed cases of mpox, logged across the continent since the beginning of this year, has already exceeded the total reported in 2023.

Mpox crisis: Virus cases logged in Africa this year exceed last year's total

First cases of mpox have been detected outside of Africa with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the recent outbreak of the disease as a public health emergency of international concern after the new variant of the virus was identified.