The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners have announced the establishment of a new Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM) for mpox vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic tests.
This initiative aims to ensure that essential medical countermeasures are distributed equitably and efficiently to those at the highest risk.
The AAM is a response to the public health emergency declared by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on August 14, 2024, following a surge in mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and surrounding regions.
This year alone, fifteen African countries have reported outbreaks of the disease. In light of these developments, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee has called for equitable access to safe and effective countermeasures.
Dr. Tedros emphasized the importance of international coordination in managing the mpox crisis. “The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the critical need for global collaboration to ensure equitable access to medical tools. We urge countries with vaccine supplies to contribute to this effort to prevent further infections and save lives,” he said.
The AAM operates as part of the interim Medical Countermeasures Network (i-MCM-Net), which unites a broad coalition of global health partners, including UN agencies, health organizations, civil society groups, and the private sector. The network aims to facilitate the development, manufacturing, allocation, and delivery of medical countermeasures.
Key members of the AAM include the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the EU’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, FIND, Gavi, the PAHO Revolving Fund, UNICEF, and Unitaid.
Currently, over 3.6 million doses of vaccines have been pledged for the mpox response. Notably, Japan has committed 3 million doses of the LC16 vaccine, the largest single pledge to date. Additionally, 620,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine have been pledged by several European countries and the United States.
The AAM will focus on several guiding principles among which includes preventing illness and death, prioritize high-risk individuals for vaccination and other interventions to halt transmission, and mitigating inequity by ensuring fair access to countermeasures for all at-risk populations.
This is in addition to maintaining clear communication and adapting strategies based on emerging data and changing circumstances.
The Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, Dr. Mike Ryan, highlighted the importance of the AAM in supporting ongoing efforts.
“We are working closely with affected countries to implement a comprehensive response that includes case detection, contact tracing, targeted vaccination, and community engagement. The AAM will ensure a steady supply of critical tools to effectively manage and reduce the impact of mpox outbreaks,” he said.
