The World Health Organization has permitted emergency use of a Japanese vaccine to inoculate against mpox, previously known as monkeypox.

Mpox cases have been reported in 80 nations this year, including 19 in Africa. In August, the UN agency declared the mpox outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern."

The disease is believed to have taken more than 1,000 lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa.

The WHO said on Tuesday it has added the vaccine developed by Kumamoto-based vaccine manufacturer KM Biologics to its emergency use listing.

The vaccine is the second to be approved for emergency use against mpox. The WHO green-lighted use of a vaccine developed by a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Denmark in September.

In a statement, the WHO said the "decision is expected to facilitate increased and timely access to vaccines in communities where mpox outbreaks are surging."

It also said the Japanese government will donate 3.05 million doses of the vaccine along with specialized inoculation needles to the DRC.

The vaccine had been manufactured for prevention against smallpox, but Japanese authorities additionally approved it for use against mpox in 2022.