The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have partnered to fight the viral disease mpox, which has resurfaced in several African nations. The goals of this partnership are to stop the outbreak from spreading, contain it, and make sure the impacted communities get the support and medical attention they require.
Knowing about Mpox
A viral zoonotic illness called monkeypox, or mpox, is mainly spread to humans by intimate contact with sick animals, especially rodents and primates. Direct contact with body fluids, lesions, respiratory droplets, and infected materials can all result in human-to-human transmission. Similar to smallpox, the condition causes fever, aches in the muscles, and a characteristic rash that turns into pustules.
Even though mpox is not as serious as smallpox, it can still be deadly, especially in young infants and those with weakened immune systems.
Senegal’s Dakar (AP) — Three weeks after the World Health Organization declared an international emergency due to mpox outbreaks in twelve African countries, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO on Friday unveiled a response plan for the entire continent.
Director-general of the Africa CDC Dr. Jean Kaseya told reporters on Friday that the expected budget for the six-month plan is over $600 million, with five fifths going toward responding to mpox in 14 impacted countries and increasing preparation in fifteen more. Through partners, the remaining 45% is allocated to operational and technical assistance. The organization did not specify who would provide the funding.
According to Kaseya, the strategy emphasizes community involvement, laboratory testing, and surveillance, highlighting the fact that immunizations alone won’t stop the epidemic from growing.
According to the organization, there have been 5,549 confirmed cases of mpox across the continent since the beginning of 2024, and 643 of those instances have resulted in deaths. This represents a significant increase in infections as well as fatalities over the previous years. 91% of the cases were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The majority of mpox infections in children under the age of fifteen occur in Congo and Burundi, the second most afflicted nation.
The strategy was announced the day after the first round of mpox vaccinations reached the outbreak’s epicenter, the city of Congo. The European Union provided the 100,000 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine—produced by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic—through HERA, the organization that oversees health emergencies inside the bloc. According to Congolese authorities, another 100,000 are anticipated to be delivered on Saturday.
“These vaccinations are essential for preventing the spread of mpox and protecting our health workers and vulnerable populations,” Kaseya declared on Thursday.
The 3 million doses that officials claim are required to put an end to the mpox epidemics in Congo, the core of the global health emergency, are far less than the 200,000 doses that have been provided. The nations of the European Union promised to give over 500,000 more, although it was not clear when they would be delivered.
Immunization is just one technique, according to Emmanuel Lampaert, a representative of Doctors Without Borders in the Congo. There were still issues with basic health measures in many places of the Congo, which made them vital in the fight against the outbreak.
Although the adult vaccine has already been used in Europe and the US, Congo granted emergency approval for it on Friday. However, it was still unclear when the vaccination campaign would start. According to Kaseya, the deployment will initially only be available to adults, with sex workers and those who have had frequent contact with infected individuals being the primary targeted categories.
HERA Director-General Laurent Muschel stated that the European Medicines Agency is looking into further data to be able to give it to kids between the ages of 12 and 17. This could happen at the end of the month.
“All the answers are not in,” Muschel said to reporters on Friday. We pick up knowledge through experience. Depending on how well the immunization campaign goes, we will modify our plan.
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