The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the "epicenter" of Africa's ongoing Mpox outbreak, will begin the first phase of its vaccination campaign on October 2, the government announced.

The campaign, which will run until October 11, follows the receipt of over 265,000 vaccine doses from international partners.

The DRC has reported 21,813 suspected cases of Mpox, with 716 deaths recorded since the beginning of 2024, according to a report released Friday by the Congolese Ministry of Health. The country is responsible for approximately 90 percent of Mpox cases across Africa.

The vaccination campaign comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the MVA-BN vaccine, developed by Bavarian Nordic, for its prequalification list, marking it as the first officially approved vaccine for Mpox. (ILKHA)