The World Health Organization’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed optimism on Friday about controlling Africa’s mpox outbreaks within six months.
He announced that the first shipment of vaccines should soon arrive in Congo, where over 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths have been reported.
“With the governments’ leadership and close cooperation between partners, we believe we can stop these outbreaks in the next six months,” Tedros stated.
Although mpox cases have surged recently, the number of deaths has remained relatively low.
The new variant of mpox has been detected in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Sweden, and Thailand, with 258 cases identified.
The WHO declared Africa’s mpox outbreaks a global emergency earlier this month to boost global efforts against the disease, which had been spreading largely unnoticed in countries like Nigeria.
In May, a new variant of mpox was detected in Congo, thought to be more transmissible.
Mpox, related to smallpox but generally causing milder symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, can also result in painful sores and blisters. It is primarily transmitted through close skin-to-skin contact.
The WHO is preparing to send approximately 230,000 vaccines to Congo and other affected areas shortly and is also working on educational campaigns to raise awareness about mpox prevention.
Maria Van Kerkhove from the WHO highlighted the push to expedite vaccine access amid a limited supply.
Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the WHO’s epidemic and pandemic diseases department, emphasized that the agency is working to speed up vaccine access for affected countries despite limited supplies.
Scientists have noted that understanding the spread of mpox in Africa is crucial for effectively deploying vaccines.
This week, Africa’s CDC chief reported that the continent expects about 380,000 doses of mpox vaccines from donors like the U.S. and EU.
However, this amounts to less than 15% of the doses needed to control the outbreaks in Congo.
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