Global Mpox Vaccine Stockpile Launches to End Cycle of Unequal Outbreak Response
On 27 August 2026, Gavi, WHO, UNICEF, MSF and the IFRC switched on the world's first standing mpox vaccine stockpile — built under the long‑standing International Coordinating Group mechanism so that any country, regardless of ability to pay, can draw doses within days instead of months.
The stockpile is designed to close the gap exposed during the 2024 mpox Public Health Emergency of International Concern, when lower‑income countries waited months for doses while high‑income markets secured supply. Two‑thirds of all reported cases since 2022 have been in the African Region, where the gap was sharpest.
A mechanism built on twenty‑eight years of precedent
The mpox stockpile joins the ICG family alongside cholera, meningitis, yellow fever and Ebola vaccines — a system first established in 1997 after major meningitis outbreaks in Africa. ICG partners are the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Médecins Sans Frontières, UNICEF and WHO. Gavi's Board approved the funding window in 2025 and finalised the financing in November 2025.
"During the 2022 mpox outbreak, lower‑income countries were left behind when it came to access to vaccines and it was clear that a mechanism was needed to ensure this global public good could be accessed by those who need it most." — Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Operations begin later this month, with allocations decided by an independent review of country requests against epidemiological need — not purchasing power.
The case for a stockpile
From 1 January 2022 to 31 July 2026, 145 countries and territories reported 190 683 confirmed mpox cases and 529 deaths. Children and people with suppressed immune systems are at highest risk of severe disease. Animal‑to‑human transmission continues in parts of Africa, sustaining a reservoir of new outbreaks.
Stockpiling is also faster. The 2024 emergency saw doses reaching countries only after weeks of negotiation; the ICG model issues allocations within days of a verified country request.
"Mpox is a horrible illness so I'm pleased that we've got to this important step in the battle to control it. Access to vaccines — for all who need them — is absolutely vital." — Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General and CEO of the IFRC
Sources
FIRAT Editorial Board
Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
The collective editorial and research translation board of FIRAT, synthesising peer-reviewed evidence, policy briefs, and division milestones across our seven foundational research pillars.
