– Amid Mpox virus outbreak
By Grace Ben Kato
The Director General of the Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC), Dr Jean Kaseya, has announced that there were plans to secure more than 10 million Mpox vaccine doses in Africa, starting with three million doses in 2024.
Dr Kaseya, made the announcement on Tuesday during a news briefing live-streamed on Zoom, amid the Monkeypox (Mpox) virus outbreak.
Africa CDC, had declared the Monkeypox (MPox) virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other neighbouring countries a ‘Public Health Emergency of Continental Security’.
He said the declaration took effect from Tuesday, August 13, 2024. “Today, I declare, with a heavy heart, a public health emergency of continental security. We declare this public health emergency of continental security to mobilise our institutions, our collective will, and our resources to act swiftly and decisively.”
Kaseya, who said the decision was made in response to increasing cases of Mpox, called on African Union member states and international partners to collaborate in addressing the outbreak.
In the same vein, the World Health Organization (WHO), Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declared mpox virus a public health emergency of international concern in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitterhandle.
According to him, the rise in mpox cases constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), following advice from WHO members at Wednesday’s International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee meeting.
“Today, the Emergency Committee on Mpox met and advised me that in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice.
“WHO is on the ground, working with the affected countries, and others at risk, through our country and regional offices, as well as with partners including the AfricaCDC, NGOs, civil society and more.
“In addition to other outbreaks of other clades of mpox in other parts of Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” Tedros said.
The WHO Chief, dusclosed that this year already saw over 14,000 reported cases of the virus with 524 deaths, a significant increase in reported cases from 2023.
Tedros previously mentioned that the mpox outbreaks have occurred due to different viruses called clades.
Mpox cases have been spreading throughout many countries in Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The potential for further spread in Africa is worrying, said the WHO chief.
