The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released the sum of $1 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support Mpox response efforts in Africa.
Reports from the News Agency of Nigeria stated that the announcement was made by WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, during an online media conference on Wednesday.
“The WHO has released $1 million from our Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support the scale-up of Mpox response,’’ said Dr. Ghebreyesus.
Furthermore, he highlighted the urgent need for additional funds, stating that WHO has developed a regional response plan requiring $15 million to support surveillance, preparedness, and response activities.
“The WHO has also developed a regional response plan requiring $15 million to support surveillance, preparedness, and response activities. We plan to release more funds in the coming days.” he stated
The plan includes measures to accelerate vaccine access, particularly for lower-income countries.
Two vaccines for Mpox have been approved by WHO-listed national regulatory authorities and are recommended by WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE).
Ghebreyesus initiated the process for Emergency Use Listing of these vaccines to be distributed through Gavi and UNICEF.
WHO is collaborating with governments, the Africa CDC, NGOs, and civil society to address the outbreak’s drivers and implement comprehensive response strategies, emphasizing community involvement.
“Stopping transmission will require a comprehensive response, with communities at the centre,” Dr. Ghebreyesus emphasized.
He reiterated WHO’s standing recommendations against imposing travel restrictions on affected countries and has decided to convene an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to determine if the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
Acknowledging support from Japan, the United States, the European Union, and vaccine manufacturers, Dr. Ghebreyesus noted ongoing efforts to ensure equitable access to medical countermeasures.
“WHO was grateful to Japan, the United States, the European Union and manufacturers for working with them on vaccine donations’’ he said.
Mpox also known as monkeypox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus.
It was first identified in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mpox outbreaks are caused by different viral clades, Clade 1, and claude 2. Since the beginning of 2024, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has faced a severe Mpox outbreak, with over 14,000 reported cases and 511 deaths.
In 2022, the first outbreak was experienced gained global attention due to a widespread outbreak that spread to previously unaffected provinces, with new cases also reported in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Clade 1, responsible for the current outbreak in Eastern DRC, causes more severe disease and has been confirmed in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Clade 2, which began spreading globally in 2022, has been reported in Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and South Africa.
Mpox is contacted though close contact with infected animals or humans, or contaminated materials. The symptoms includes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes are common. Rash progresses from macules to pustules before scabbing.
