Africa: WHO demands $135 million to combat MPOX

The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that 135 million dollars would be required to combat MPOX

This Monday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesusgeneral manager of the World Health Organization (WHO)announced that the UN institution has developed a plan to control the outbreaks of mpox in Africa, which needs help from 135 million dollars (approximately 121 million euros).

Tedros, in the capital of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville, said that “together with our partners, We have developed a comprehensive strategic plan for preparation and response to MPOX.which we shared with all Member States on Friday and was published today.”

«The plan needs $135 million in the next six months “We need to manage these outbreaks through comprehensive surveillance and response,” he stressed at the opening of the 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, which runs until Friday and is attended by health ministers from 47 African countries.

That plan, he explained, aims to reduce zoonotic transmission, Empowering communities to actively participate in prevention and control of outbreaks, and encourage research and equitable access to medical measures, such as vaccines.

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“The landscape is complex and changing, and addressing and controlling each of these outbreaks will require a sophisticated, comprehensive and coordinated international response. That is why the On the 14th of this month I decided to declare a public health emergency “of international importance,” Tedros stressed.

The Director-General expressed his “confidence” that, with the leadership of the affected countries and the support of the WHO and other agencies, it will be possible to “quickly control this outbreak«.

Since January 1, there have been nearly 1,000 21,500 cases of mpox and 591 deaths due to this disease in thirteen African countries, the UN health agency reported Friday. African Union (AU).

During that time, 21,466 cases have been recorded (3,350 confirmed and 18,116 suspected) in Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda, according to the director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya.