AHF Urges Vaccine Equity as Mpox Cases Surge in Sierra Leone

KAMPALA, Uganda--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As Sierra Leone grapples with the rapid escalation of mpox cases, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) calls for urgent global action to improve vaccination efforts for the response, including Bavarian Nordic lowering the price of the vaccine and transferring technology and know-how to regional manufacturers. AHF also urges wealthy nations to donate vaccine doses from existing stockpiles.

Sierra Leone accounted for 41% of the continent’s cases as of June 24. Since January 10, the country has recorded 4,350 confirmed cases and 28 deaths. Since late March, only 40,000 people had been vaccinated, many of them frontline healthcare workers and high-risk groups, including people living with HIV. With limited isolation capacity and just two contacts traced per confirmed case, the response is stretched thin. According to the Africa CDC, more than 6.4 million vaccine doses are needed across the region to meet demand, yet access remains restricted by high prices and limited supply.

“We commend Sierra Leone’s rapid response in collaboration with the Africa CDC, but they—and the entire region—should not have to fight this outbreak alone,” said Dr. Penninah Iutung, AHF Africa Bureau Chief. “We urge high-income countries to immediately release vaccine doses from their reserves and support equitable access to prevention tools. We also call on Bavarian Nordic to reduce the cost of its Jynneos mpox vaccine and to share technology and production knowledge with qualified African manufacturers. Without affordable regional production and greater global collaboration, the world remains vulnerable to preventable infectious disease outbreaks like mpox.”

The outbreak extends far beyond Sierra Leone, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo remaining as the epicenter of Africa’s outbreak. Uganda, Burundi, Malawi, and over a dozen other countries have also reported significant case numbers. The World Health Organization continues to classify mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, citing surging cases, ongoing vaccine shortages, and rising instability.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 2.4 million clients in 48 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare