Dr. Dimie Ogoina, an infectious diseases expert at Niger Delta University Hospital and chair of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mpox emergency committee, has raised concerns about Africa’s preparedness in combating the new strain of mpox.
Reuters reported that Ogoina warns “I worry that in Africa, we are working blindly,” in a response to the evolving virus, which has seen rapid mutations and an uptick in cases across several African countries.
Dr. Ogoina has also expressed deep concerns about the continent’s current approach to the outbreak. “We don’t understand our outbreak very well,” he said, emphasizing the need for a clearer understanding of the virus’s transmission dynamics, severity, and risk factors.
He warned that without this understanding, effectively addressing the outbreak would be extremely difficult. Ogoina also highlighted the potential dangers posed by the virus’s mutations, which could lead to new strains with unknown characteristics.
Challenges in response
Scientists identified that the new strain of mpox, dubbed clade Ib is a mutated version of clade I, this has raised alarms due to its accelerated evolution, making it difficult for health experts to track and understand the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared clade Ib of Mpox (monkeypox) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in response to the rapid spread of the virus, particularly in Africa.
Reuters reported that the response to the clade Ib strain has been complicated by a lack of resources, including insufficient funding and inadequate equipment, which hinder efforts to track the virus effectively.
Experts from Africa, Europe, and the United States have reported numerous unknowns regarding the virus’s severity, transmission dynamics, and risk factors. These challenges are particularly pronounced in Africa, where health systems are struggling to keep up with the rapid changes in the virus.
Impact on Africa
The latest update from Nigeria Centre for Disease Control(NCDC) reveals 40 confirmed cases and zero death of Monkey Pox recorded across 33 states and the FCT. It also reported 802 suspected cases
Congo alone has reported over 18,000 suspected cases of mpox, including both clade I and clade Ib strains, with 615 deaths this year. In the last month, 222 confirmed clade Ib cases have been reported across four African countries, with isolated cases in Sweden and Thailand among travelers with a history in Africa.
What you should know
The World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to decide on the issuance of an emergency use listing (EUL) for an mpox vaccine within the next three weeks. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced this during the opening of the WHO Africa regional conference, following the submission of all required information by the vaccine manufacturer,
Nairametrics reported that Germany would donate 100,000 mpox vaccine doses from its military stocks to African countries grappling with a severe outbreak of the virus.
