Africa is facing a surge in mpox cases, with nearly 4,000 reported in the past week, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The total cases have reached 22,863 with 622 deaths. The arrival of vaccines in Congo, the most affected country, has been delayed, despite Western partners pledging about 380,000 doses of mpox vaccines. This falls short of the amount needed to end the outbreaks in Congo.
Richer nations swiftly provided vaccines and treatments from their stockpiles following mpox outbreaks outside Africa in 2022. However, the African continent has received only a limited number of doses, with the first batch of vaccines promised for the new outbreaks in Congo expected to arrive on September 1 after delays. The delay was due to documentation and emergency authorization issues.
The batch will include 50,000 doses from the U.S. government and 15,000 doses from the vaccines alliance GAVI. Meanwhile, Congo is in negotiations with Japan for at least 2 million doses of particularly effective vaccines to protect children. The new mpox variant discovered in Congo is causing significant community-level transmission in other regions, like Burundi, where almost 800 cases have been recorded in the last month.
On a positive note, the U.S. donated 10,000 doses of mpox vaccines to Nigeria, which has experienced common outbreaks. Nigeria’s CDC reported 40 mpox cases this year. The Africa CDC is devising a unified response plan for the outbreaks to present to African heads of state in a September meeting. African countries are implementing health measures and promoting hygiene practices to slow the spread of the mpox virus. However, enforcing these measures is challenging in Congo, where millions displaced by violence live in overcrowded camps amid a complex humanitarian crisis.
Humanitarian organizations are struggling to control the outbreak due to limited resources, with children being especially at risk. The International Rescue Committee’s country director in Congo highlighted the difficulties faced in controlling the situation. Discussions and negotiations continue as African countries strive to tackle the mpox outbreaks effectively.
