The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have jointly launched a continent-wide response plan to address the growing mpox outbreak in Africa.The initiative, which starts this month and runs until February next year, aims to strengthen African countries’ responses to the virus, focusing on curbing its spread and saving lives.
The project has an estimated budget of nearly $600 million.This plan comes shortly after the WHO declared the new strain of mpox a public health emergency of international concern. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of Africa CDC, revealed that 55% of the funds will be allocated to 14 countries with confirmed cases, while another 15 nations will receive support to boost their preparedness.
The remaining 45% will go towards operational and technical assistance.Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, emphasized that countries have been categorized based on their risk levels, with places like eastern DRC experiencing intense spread, while others, like Guinea, focus on preparedness.The response plan highlights the importance of surveillance, laboratory testing, and community engagement.
Dr. Kaseya also noted that vaccines alone are not sufficient to tackle the outbreak.Since the beginning of 2024, Africa has reported 5,549 confirmed mpox cases and 643 related deaths, with the majority occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Infections are particularly high among children under 15 in Congo and Burundi, the second-most affected country.
