Africa: Mpox Outbreak Demands Immediate Global Response and Resources

There is a serious concern about Mpox’s continued outbreak, which has now spread to several African countries

Urgent investment and action by all stakeholders across the international community to contain and prevent the spread of MPox outbreaks of clades I and II was the call from The Independent Panel, the Pandemic Action Network (PAN), the Panel for a Global Public Health Convention (PGPHCs) across the globe, as well as health leaders and academicians in their joint statement.

Mpox is an infectious disease that spreads via direct contact with an infected individual or contaminated surface. Humans can also contract it from wild animals. Swollen lymph nodes, fever, and rash are some of the symptoms of this disease.

“We welcome the Director-General of the World Health Organization’s announcement that he will convene the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee to assess the current Mpox situation and then determine whether it is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC),” read the statement.

“This meeting is urgently required as cases of Mpox clade I are now also being reported in countries neighboring the Democratic Republic of the Congo where most cases and deaths have occurred.”

They also urged the WHO and Member States to apply the amended International Health Regulations (IHRs) to the outbreak, calling for principles of equity and solidarity. This includes “an obligation for the WHO to assist countries in accessing health products, strengthening research and development, and supporting local production, as well as for State Parties to facilitate access to these health products”.

MPox continues to spread into several African countries, it is of grave concern

Over 14,500 cases of Mpox were detected in 10 African countries from January to June 2024, resulting in 461 deaths – a 19% increase over last year. According to WHO, 88% of recent deaths linked to clade I are in children under 15 years of age.

There are two noteworthy strains of the virus, clade 1, circulating in the DR Congo for years, and clade 2, which started a global outbreak in 2022. The current outbreak in DR Congo is associated with clade 1b, associated with more severe disease than clade 2, according to WHO. Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda confirmed clade 1b, while Burundi is still undergoing analysis. In addition, clade 1a was detected in DR Congo, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of Congo this year. In Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, and South Africa, Clade 2 was detected.

Since 2022, Africa recorded a 160% increase in cases of Mpox as compared to 2023, resulting in 38,465 cases and 1,456 deaths.

Call to Action

To enhance the global response to Mpox, the WHO released U.S.$1 million from its contingency fund. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief, called for an emergency committee of experts to determine if the outbreak in Africa constitutes an international public health emergency. “The committee will meet as soon as possible and will be made up of independent experts from a range of relevant disciplines from around the world,” he said.

WHO is also collaborating with country teams and experts to strengthen key response areas, such as disease surveillance, diagnosis, testing, clinical care, and infection prevention and control.

“We are encouraged by the African Union’s pledge of U.S.$10.4 million to address the outbreak and by the WHO’s announced release of U.S.$1 million from its emergency contingency fund.  Much more funding will be urgently needed including for health products, and for Africa-based and international networks to collaborate on learning more about the virus and developing local solutions,” said the global leaders.

Their joint call asserts that global attention and action to contain the escalating spread of Mpox, urging for immediate measures to address this urgent public health crisis. There is a need for strong political leadership and increased financial investments to contain the spread, save lives, and address the disproportionate effect on some communities. To prevent further transmission, the call also calls for expanded testing, vaccine availability, and community engagement. In addition, it calls for enhanced surveillance and substantial investment in research and development to better understand and respond to the outbreak, particularly in Africa.

“Leaders must take action and make the investments required to contain Mpox and protect people now. The world has learned how expensive the global spread of a virus can be to human lives, economies, and societies – it’s beyond time to apply the lessons of COVID-19 and stop outbreaks before they become pandemics,” they said.