Africa has received a total of $1 billion from Governments and international donors to combat the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
During a media briefing on Friday, Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of Africa CDC, highlighted both the scale of financial commitment and the significant challenges that remain, particularly around surveillance, testing, and contact tracing.
The outbreak, which has affected several African countries, has revealed substantial weaknesses in public health infrastructure. Dr. Kaseya noted that less than 4% of mpox contacts are being traced, severely hampering efforts to control the virus’s spread.
Despite these challenges, coordinated efforts between Africa CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) are underway, with plans to further engage with U.S. health officials regarding the allocation of recently pledged funds.
The U.S. has committed $5 million to support the response, focusing on key areas such as training healthcare workers, bolstering disease surveillance, and improving laboratory diagnostics.
In addition to the financial aid, vaccine donations have reached 4.3 million doses. Japan has committed three million doses to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicenter of the outbreak, while the U.S. pledged an additional one million doses this week.
However, vaccine distribution has faced logistical challenges, particularly in conflict-affected regions like the DRC, where poor infrastructure further complicates efforts.
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Dr. Kaseya raised concerns about the potential for cross-border transmission, particularly in countries like Uganda, which has reported 212 suspected mpox cases.
He emphasized the need for heightened vigilance in high-traffic areas such as border crossings, noting that truck drivers, historically implicated in the spread of diseases like HIV, may also play a role in mpox transmission.
The situation in Tanzania, which has yet to report any mpox cases despite its proximity to affected areas, was also flagged as a concern. Dr. Kaseya suggested that the country may not be mpox-free but rather lacking the surveillance capacity to detect cases.
This highlights the broader issue of inadequate monitoring across the region.
To address these shortcomings, Africa CDC plans to deploy 40,000 community health workers in the DRC, aiming to improve surveillance and contact tracing. Dr. Kaseya also called for more research into the virus, particularly regarding the recently evolved Clade Ib strain, which has proven to be more infectious and deadly.
There is currently no rapid diagnostic test for this strain, which complicates efforts to track and contain the virus.
Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, Africa CDC’s Chief of Staff, outlined the priority groups for vaccination, including healthcare workers, close contacts of confirmed cases, and vulnerable populations such as children, commercial sex workers, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
However, contact tracing remains a weak link in the response, with only around 3% of potential contacts being traced.
Fifteen African countries have reported mpox cases this year, with more than 32,000 suspected cases since the start of 2024.
The slow pace of testing and confirmation underscores the urgent need for improved surveillance and laboratory capacity across the continent, as Africa continues to face a daunting public health challenge.
