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The MpoxVax AFRIVAC Project (Expanding a prospective, clinical trial examining the immune response of participants receiving Modified Vaccinia Ankara vaccine to Africa) gathers an interdisciplinary consortium of internationally recognised research leaders from 6 Partner institutions from Europe and Africa with the overall ambition to rapidly deploy technology and develop new knowledge that contributes to ending the current Mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and surrounding countries. The Mpox epidemic in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is accelerating at an alarming rate, and a significant number of cases have been reported beyond DRC´s borders. The surge led the World Health Organisation (WHO) to issue its highest global health alert – a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in August 2024.

According to the latest available data the cumulative number of cases for 2024 is over 22,000, including over 600 deaths, with cases reported in 20 countries across the African continent. The three countries with the majority of the cases in 2024 are DRC (9,513), Burundi, (2,861), and Uganda, (1,126). A significant number of suspected mpox cases, that are clinically compatible with mpox remain untested due to limited diagnostic capacity in some African countries and thus never get
confirmed. 

MpoxVax AFRIVAC will expand a trial exploring the effectiveness of Mpox vaccination that is currently running in Ireland to additional countries in Africa that are affected by an ongoing outbreak of Mpox infection. By significantly leveraging the clinical and laboratory structure developed by the pre-existing MpoxVax trial in Ireland, our project aims to rapidly deploy technology and develop new knowledge to contribute to ending the current Mpox outbreak in the DRC and surrounding countries.

The MpoxVax AFRIVAC partners link expertise in vaccine clinical trials, virology, diagnostics development, biobanking and global health. The scope of the project includes sharing of new technology in Mpox diagnostics with affected countries, determining the relative immunogenicity of Mpox vaccination in immunosuppressed individuals and women as well as comparing the durability of immune responses in different populations (European versus African). Additionally, this Project will contribute to wider research to determine a correlate of protection that can be used clinically to determine vaccine effectiveness in terms of thresholds of immunity as well as appropriate interval re-vaccination strategies.

Who is involved in this project?

UCD – UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN,  IRELAND

MLI – MAKERERE UNIVERSITY LUNG INSTITUTE, UGANDA

UNHRO – UGANDA NATIONAL HEALTH RESEARCH ORGANISATION, UGANDA 

USTAN – THE UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS, UK

UCB –  UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE BUKAVU, DRC

NMIR – NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH, TANZANIA

Learn more

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“This trial is uniquely important as it will study the immune responses to the vaccine already earmarked for epidemic control in affected countries; in many instances vaccines deployed in Africa have had their early phases done in other settings. There are many reasons why immune responses could differ ranging from genetics to different immune priming from many infections endemic in Africa. This trial will provide this data that could help refine how the vaccine is used. “

Prof Bruce Kirenga
(Scientific Coordinator, WP2 Lead) MLI

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“As part of the MpoxVax trial at UCD CEPHR we have developed a new assay to measure immune responses to Mpox vaccination. The MpoxVax AFRIVAC project will enable us to transfer this novel technology to improve clinical research infrastructure and the conduct of vaccine trials in affected areas in Africa. The MpoxVax trial will directly contribute to international research that translates to enhan ced responses to global health threats, building on learnings from the COVID19 pandemic.”

Prof Patrick Mallon
(Coordinator, WP1 Lead) UCD

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“MpoxVax AFRIVAC will build on the data and experience currently being gained from MpoxVax in Ireland to further examine and compare immune responses to vaccination for prevention of Mpox in critically important at-risk groups in Africa.”

Prof Eoin Feeney
(WP2 Co-Lead) UCD

This project has received funding from the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking under the powers delegated by the European Commission for the Mobilisation of Emergency funding for Mpox outbreak research response.

HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2024-Mpox. HORIZON-JU-RIA. Grant Agreement 101195540.