LONDON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The global vaccine group

Gavi will buy 500,000 doses of Bavarian Nordic's ( BVNKF ) mpox

vaccine, its first purchase of the shot to help battle an

outbreak in parts of Africa, the group said on Wednesday.

In 2024, there have been more than 25,000 suspected mpox

cases and 723 deaths in Africa, mainly in the Democratic

Republic of Congo, according to the World Health Organization,

which has declared the outbreak a global health emergency.

Gavi, a public-private alliance which co-funds vaccine

purchases for low-income countries, said it will spend up to $50

million on the plan, which includes transportation, delivery and

costs of administering the vaccines. The doses are due to be

delivered this year.

Around 3.6 million doses of mpox vaccine have already been

pledged to the DRC by rich nations which have stockpiles, the

World Health Organization has said, but only a small portion has

arrived so far.

Gavi's purchase, using a new facility set up after COVID-19

to respond quickly to public health emergencies, could speed up

the response in Congo and other affected countries.