The World Health Organization’s Director-General has indicated that mpox outbreaks in Africa could potentially be controlled within the next six months. He mentioned that the initial batch of vaccines is expected to reach Congo soon.
Currently, Africa has only received a fraction of the necessary vaccines to mitigate the virus’s spread, with Congo reporting the highest number of cases—over 18,000 suspected infections and 629 fatalities.
The Director-General stressed that with strong leadership from governments and close collaboration among stakeholders, the outbreaks could be managed within six months. Although mpox cases have been increasing recently, the death toll remains relatively low. Additionally, 258 cases of a new mpox variant have been reported in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Sweden, and Thailand.
Earlier this month, a global emergency was declared in response to the mpox outbreaks in Africa, aiming to stimulate a coordinated global effort to address the disease, which had been spreading with little notice, including in Nigeria. In May, a new variant of the disease was discovered in Congo, suggesting it might spread more easily.
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is related to smallpox but generally causes milder symptoms like fever, headache, and body aches. In more severe instances, it can lead to painful sores and blisters on the face, chest, hands, and genitals. The virus spreads mainly through close skin-to-skin contact.
Plans are underway to deliver approximately 230,000 vaccines to Congo and other affected regions soon. Alongside this, educational campaigns are being launched to help people understand how to prevent the spread of mpox.
Efforts are being intensified to expedite vaccine access to countries experiencing outbreaks, despite current vaccine shortages. Experts have noted that a deeper understanding of mpox transmission in Africa is needed to effectively utilize the available vaccines.
The head of Africa’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that the continent is expected to receive around 380,000 doses of mpox vaccines from various donors, including the U.S. and the European Union. However, this number is still less than 15% of the total doses required to combat the outbreaks in Congo.
