As COVID-19 continues to linger, another public health threat is emerging in Africa: mpox.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is taking serious notice, with Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently hinting at elevating the situation to a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
Dr. Tedros stated, “I am considering convening an International Health Regulations emergency committee to advise me on whether the outbreak of mpox should be declared a public health emergency of international concern. More funding and support for a comprehensive response are needed.”
This potential designation pins the severity of the outbreak and the need for a coordinated global response.
The current strain of mpox circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), known as clade 1b, has proven to be particularly virulent, with a mortality rate nearing 4%, significantly higher than the less than 1% mortality rate of the 2022 subtype, clade 2b.
Fortunately, Africa CDC has responded to the crisis by approving an emergency fund of $10.4 million to bolster mpox surveillance and improve vaccine access across the continent.
Recall that between January 2022 and the end of the previous month, there have been 37,583 cases and 1,451 deaths reported in 15 African countries. The DRC remains the epicenter, with 13,791 cases and 450 deaths, but other nations, including South Africa and Uganda, are also experiencing outbreaks.
South Africa recently reported 22 cases, including three deaths, and Uganda confirmed its first two cases, imported from the DRC. The virus spreads through close, skin-to-skin contact, with transmission occurring both within households and among sexual networks.
Challenges
Despite the severity of the outbreak, access to vaccines remains limited in Africa. While the DRC has approved two mpox vaccines and received 50,000 doses from the United States, these have not yet been deployed. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has also initiated a post-exposure prophylaxis trial in the DRC to test mpox vaccines.
Previously known as monkeypox, mpox causes fever, headaches, muscle aches, and painful skin boils. Though typically not fatal, it can be deadly in rare cases.
The WHO had declared a PHEIC for the 2022 mpox outbreak, which was subsequently contained in the United States and Europe with widespread vaccination efforts. However, such vaccines have not been as accessible in African countries, highlighting the urgent need for global support and resource allocation to combat this growing health crisis.
