Dakar, 29 August 2024 (TDI): A senior representative of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) stated on Wednesday that the continent has received less than 10% of the $245 million that it is expected to require to combat an Mpox outbreak that is rapidly spreading.
Due to a new strain of the virus that started spreading from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to neighboring countries in mid-August, the WHO declared a global health emergency, putting pressure on the continent to contain the potentially fatal outbreak.
To estimate the funds available for the Mpox response and the resources it must mobilize, Africa CDC has put out a budget.
At a WHO meeting in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, Ngashi Ngongo, the chief of staff for the Africa CDC, stated, “We’ve arrived at the first estimate of $245 million.”
Ngongo said the African Union had granted $10.4 million and the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo had contributed $10 million to help combat the outbreak.
So he said, there is currently around $20 million available for the reaction; these amounts will be updated.
Also read: Germany Donated 100,000 Mpox Vaccinations To Stop African Outbreak
“As of right now, we are seeking for roughly $224 million to close the gap,” he stated.
The organization is working to obtain over a million doses of the Mpox vaccine, according to Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC, who spoke during the meeting.
The vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic supplied 215,000 doses, while France provided 100,000 doses, Germany provided about 100,000 doses, and Spain provided roughly 500,000 doses. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country most afflicted by the virus, has not yet been given a timeframe for when the vaccinations may be distributed there.
Mpox is a virus that often causes moderate symptoms but can be deadly. It creates pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms.