Malta has joined other European Union (EU) member states to help Africa reduce further spread of mpox, the Health Ministry said on Thursday in a statement.

Malta has joined the European Commission's "Team Europe" initiative to donate vaccines and mobilize resources to help address the public health emergency, the statement said, adding that together European countries will be donating half a million vaccines.

Malta's Health Ministry reported the first case of mpox on Aug. 30, with the second case being registered on Sept. 3. The first case was identified as a less severe strain of the virus known as Clade II.

According to a press release issued by the European Commission, the first shipment of approximately 100,000 mpox vaccine doses will arrive in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Thursday, with the second delivery of around 100,000 vaccines expected in the coming days. DRC is at the epicenter of the mpox outbreak.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared on Aug. 13 the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, activating its highest level of global alert for mpox for the second time in two years. 

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