AU Boosts Mpox Fight with $10.4m Funding
The African Union’s Permanent Representatives Committee has allocated $10.4m from existing COVID funds to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to combat the Mpox outbreak across the continent.
The funding aims to strengthen five critical areas:
.Enhancing Mpox surveillance and deployment surge capacity
.Boosting laboratory testing and genomic sequencing capacity
.Strengthening regional and national data collection and analytics
.Enhancing case management, infection prevention, and control
.Improving access and delivery of vaccines, diagnostics, and supplies
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From January to July 2024, 15,074 Mpox cases and 461 deaths have been reported across 12 AU Member States, representing a 160% increase in cases and a 19% increase in deaths compared to the same period in 2023.
The Africa CDC has already achieved significant milestones in the fight against Mpox, including developing a national response plan in the DRC, conducting readiness assessments in affected member states, and distributing 20,000 Mpox RT-PCR kits and ancillary supplies to 44 African Union member states.
The Director General of Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya, expressed gratitude for the timely support from the PRC, while Ambassador Mohamed Gad emphasized the importance of solidarity and collective action in combating public health emergencies across Africa.
