The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set a target to stop mpox outbreaks in Africa within the next six months. This announcement comes as the first vaccine shipments are expected to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the coming days.
Africa, especially the DRC, with over 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths, has received only a small amount of the vaccines needed to fight the virus.
At a press briefing on Monday, September 2, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed confidence in ending the outbreaks, citing strong government leadership and collaborative partnerships.
In August, WHO declared mpox outbreaks a global emergency to encourage a stronger international response. A new strain of mpox, known as clade1b, has been identified in many countries, including Burundi, Cameroon, Rwanda, and Kenya.
The potentially more contagious variant of the virus was detected in Congo in May, raising concerns among health officials.
WHO estimates that about 230,000 vaccines could soon be sent to Congo and other affected countries. WHO is also running educational campaigns to help people in outbreak areas learn how to prevent the spread of the disease.
Africa’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aims to receive 380,000 vaccine doses from donors, including the US and the EU. However, this amount is not enough to fully eliminate the outbreaks.
