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The South African
18-07-2025
- Health
- The South African
Sierra Leone declares monkeypox public health emergency
Sierra Leone is currently experiencing a Clade II mpox outbreak, with active transmission reported across multiple districts as of 17 July 2025. Clade II, a less virulent variant of the monkeypox virus primarily linked to West Africa, has affected males and females aged 20 to 39 years almost equally. Health officials have confirmed person-to-person transmission, including through intimate contact. On 11 July 2025, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that the ongoing mpox outbreak in Sierra Leone is linked to Clade II of the monkeypox virus. On 16 January 2025, the Minister of Health, Dr Austin Demby, officially declared mpox a public health emergency after confirming two cases across multiple districts. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has supported the response in Freetown, Kenema, Bombali, and Tonkolili districts. UNICEF also delivered 58 000 mpox vaccine doses with Gavi's support by March 2025. Gavi has confirmed an additional 50 000 doses for allocation, raising its total contribution to nearly 110 000 vaccines. CHALLENGES AND CONCERNS REMAIN Despite declining case numbers recently, data should be interpreted cautiously due to reporting delays. As of 17 July 2025, mpox vaccination is recommended for travellers to Sierra Leone engaging in at-risk activities. The standard protocol for maximum immunity involves two doses of the JYNNEOS® vaccine, administered 28 days apart. As a result, critical gaps persist in vaccine supply, surveillance, case management, and community engagement. GLOBAL CONTEXT AND FUTURE STEPS On 9 June 2025, the World Health Organisation reaffirmed that the mpox upsurge continues to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) following the fourth meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee (IHREC). Furthermore, resource constraints threaten the sustainability of operations, impacting personnel and laboratory surveillance. The global funding requirement of $145 million (approximately R 2.56 billion) for the mpox response remains largely unmet. This points out the importance of sustained international investment and coordinated efforts. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Associated Press
11-06-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
GeoVax Responds to WHO's Fourth Declaration of Mpox as a Global Public Health Emergency
GEO-MVA Provides Potential Opportunity to Expand Mpox Vaccine Supply Amid Growing U.S. and Global Clade 1 Threat ATLANTA, GA - June 11, 2025 ( NEWMEDIAWIRE ) - GeoVax Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOVX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing multi-antigen vaccines and immunotherapies, today issued a statement in response to the World Health Organization's (WHO) fourth declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The WHO's decision reflects the ongoing global spread of the highly virulent Clade 1 strain of the Mpox virus, which has prompted heightened international concern and a call to action for more robust vaccine strategies. Mpox continues to pose a significant threat to global health, with WHO reporting rising case counts in endemic and non-endemic regions alike. In particular, Clade 1 Mpox - previously confined to Central Africa - is now appearing in Europe, Asia, and North America. In the United States, multiple confirmed Clade 1 cases have been reported across New York, California, Georgia, and New Hampshire. Additionally, Clade 1 viral particles have been detected in wastewater in North Carolina, California, Alabama and Iowa, suggesting silent transmission may be occurring even before symptomatic cases emerge. U.S. and Global Reliance on a Single Supplier Threatens Response Capacity Despite the urgency, the world remains dangerously dependent on a single manufacturer for the preferred Mpox vaccine, based on the Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) platform. This presents significant risks to biosecurity, affordability, and equitable distribution. African nations alone have requested 20 million doses for 2025; global capacity is estimated at only 2–5 million doses annually. GEO-MVA: America's Strategic Vaccine Alternative GeoVax is actively developing GEO-MVA, a U.S.-based MVA vaccine for Mpox and smallpox. GEO-MVA is engineered as an alternative to the existing global supply and has been recognized at global forums as a pivotal component of future pandemic resilience. GeoVax has completed cGMP drug substance manufacturing of GEO-MVA, with fill/finish processes underway. Clinical vials are expected to be available in Q4 '25, enabling clinical trials to begin in 2026. GEO-MVA is also being developed using an advanced continuous avian cell line manufacturing process, intended to: 'WHO's latest declaration underscores that the Mpox crisis is not behind us - it is escalating,' said David Dodd, Chairman & CEO of GeoVax. 'As Clade 1 spreads in the U.S. and globally, we must act now to expand domestic vaccine capacity. Single-source dependency threatens access during geopolitical or logistical disruptions. GEO-MVA offers a scalable, cost-effective, and onshore alternative that supports national security, global equity, and pandemic preparedness.' Strengthening Biosecurity and Public Health Readiness GeoVax is engaged with U.S. federal agencies to align GEO-MVA with government initiatives aimed at onshoring critical pharmaceutical manufacturing and strengthening national pandemic readiness. The company's proposal under BARDA's Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle (RRPV) was selected for award, pending funding, to scale MVA-based vaccine production using advanced U.S. biomanufacturing technologies. GeoVax is calling on global and national policymakers to: About GeoVax GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel vaccines against infectious diseases and therapies for solid tumor cancers. The Company's lead clinical program is GEO-CM04S1, a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine currently in three Phase 2 clinical trials, being evaluated as (1) a primary vaccine for immunocompromised patients such as those suffering from hematologic cancers and other patient populations for whom the current authorized COVID-19 vaccines are insufficient, (2) a booster vaccine in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and (3) a more robust, durable COVID-19 booster among healthy patients who previously received the mRNA vaccines. In oncology the lead clinical program is evaluating a novel oncolytic solid tumor gene-directed therapy, Gedeptin(R), having recently completed a multicenter Phase 1/2 clinical trial for advanced head and neck cancers. The Company is also developing GEO-MVA, a vaccine targeting Mpox and smallpox. GeoVax has a strong IP portfolio in support of its technologies and product candidates, holding worldwide rights for its technologies and products. For more information about the current status of our clinical trials and other updates, visit our website: Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements regarding GeoVax's business plans. The words 'believe,' 'look forward to,' 'may,' 'estimate,' 'continue,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'should,' 'plan,' 'could,' 'target,' 'potential,' 'is likely,' 'will,' 'expect' and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Actual results may differ materially from those included in these statements due to a variety of factors, including whether: GeoVax is able to obtain acceptable results from ongoing or future clinical trials of its investigational products, GeoVax's immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines can provoke the desired responses, and those products or vaccines can be used effectively, GeoVax's viral vector technology adequately amplifies immune responses to cancer antigens, GeoVax can develop and manufacture its immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines with the desired characteristics in a timely manner, GeoVax's immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines will be safe for human use, GeoVax's vaccines will effectively prevent targeted infections in humans, GeoVax's immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines will receive regulatory approvals necessary to be licensed and marketed, GeoVax raises required capital to complete development, there is development of competitive products that may be more effective or easier to use than GeoVax's products, GeoVax will be able to enter into favorable manufacturing and distribution agreements, and other factors, over which GeoVax has no Contact: [email protected] 678-384-7220 Investor Relations Contact: [email protected] 212-698-8696
