Nearly 800,000 U.S.-funded mpox vaccine doses intended for African nations risk expiry in warehouses, 48 Democratic lawmakers warned Wednesday, urging urgent shipment to avoid waste.
Dozens of Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives have called on the State Department to act swiftly, warning that hundreds of thousands of mpox vaccine doses, meant for Africa, could expire unused. In a letter signed by 48 Democrats and led by Representatives Mark Pocan of Wisconsin and Sara Jacobs of California, lawmakers said about 800,000 doses are at risk, with 220,000 still viable if shipped immediately.
"This is a moral, strategic, and public health failure in the making," the letter read.
The U.S. State Department has yet to issue a response.
The vaccines were originally promised to African countries hit hard by the mpox outbreak, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and Burundi. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern in August 2024, following the spread of a new strain from the DRC.
Mpox, a viral disease that spreads through close contact, causes flu-like symptoms and painful lesions. While usually mild, it can be deadly. The WHO said last month that the crisis remains a global health emergency.
The situation has been further complicated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s sharp cuts to foreign aid. Since beginning his second term six months ago, Trump has downsized international assistance programmes, firing thousands of aid workers and pushing through $8 billion in aid reductions with backing from the Republican-controlled Congress.
Trump argues that the U.S. carries an unfair burden and has called on other nations to contribute more to humanitarian causes.
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Nigeria’s Plateau State has revived an intra-city train service to offer cheaper public transport. The move comes amid soaring fuel prices after the federal government scrapped fuel subsidies in 2023, pushing up bus fares and straining household budgets.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has sentenced two former Anti-Balaka militia leaders from the Central African Republic to lengthy prison terms for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has called for reparations over slavery and colonisation, urging global recognition of Africa’s historical injustices and dignity.
Three new sites in Africa have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
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Oil prices rose on Wednesday amid renewed supply concerns following U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on India for continuing to purchase oil from Russia.
Pakistan has begun expelling documented Afghan refugees weeks before its 1 September deadline, the UN refugee agency says, warning that the early removals breach international law and could uproot more than one million people.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has received U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin today, the presidential press service announced.
At least 45 women and children were kidnapped overnight during coordinated raids on five villages in Nigeria’s Zamfara state, according to local witnesses.
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