President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that the United States will donate one million doses of the mpox vaccine to African nations grappling with an epidemic of the virus.

The World Health Organization declared an international emergency last month due to a spike in cases of a new mpox strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has spread to neighboring countries.

“We must act swiftly to address the mpox outbreak in Africa,” Biden stated at the UN General Assembly in New York. He emphasized the U.S. commitment of $500 million to assist African countries in preventing and responding to mpox, alongside the vaccine donation.

Biden urged other nations to join in this effort, aiming to create a billion-dollar initiative for Africa.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral infection that can be transmitted from infected animals to humans and also spreads between people through close contact. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and large boil-like lesions, and the disease can be fatal.

According to the WHO, there have been 25,093 suspected mpox cases and 723 deaths reported across Africa from January to September 8.