The United States has pledged to donate one million doses of the mpox vaccine and at least $500 million to African countries to help combat the spread of the virus.
The announcement was made by President Joe Biden during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
President Biden also called on other nations to follow suit in supporting Africa's response to the outbreak.
In August, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The virus has since spread to neighboring countries and beyond, including cases reported as far as India, raising international concern.
An unnamed US official noted that while mpox cases have yet to be reported in the US, it would not be surprising if the virus reached the country.
However, recent budget cuts by Congress on pandemic response funding could hamper the US's preparedness.
The vaccine doses being donated by the US will include a significant supply from its stockpile of the Jynneos vaccine, developed by Bavarian Nordic.
This donation is expected to bolster Africa's ability to manage and prevent the further spread of the virus.
This large-scale donation from the US represents a crucial step in the global effort to curb the spread of mpox, particularly in the regions most impacted by the outbreak.
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