Written question asked by David Mundell (Conservative) on Friday, 30 August 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 3 September 2024. It was answered by Anneliese Dodds (Labour) on Monday, 9 September 2024 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Mpox

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support Mpox vaccine (a) distribution and (b) accessibility in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Answer: The UK is second largest donor to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, providing £1.65 billion over 2021-2025. We are working closely with Gavi to enable access to mpox vaccines for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other African countries at risk. The UK have committed £160 million to international partner, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). CEPI and Bavarian Nordic recently announced a clinical trial launching in late 2024 to assess vaccine effectiveness in children in Africa. Lord Collins has announced the additional £3.1 million funding to UNICEF for cholera and mpox response. This will reach 4.4 million people in affected communities.

Secondary information