**$600 Million Plan to Combat Monkeypox Across Africa**
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) launched a continent-wide response plan on Friday to address the monkeypox outbreak in 14 countries and bolster preparedness in 15 others.
The six-month plan has an estimated budget of $600 million, with 55% allocated for the immediate response to the outbreak in the affected countries and 45% directed toward operational and technical support through partners, according to Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, who spoke to reporters on Friday.
Kaseya emphasized that the plan focuses on surveillance, laboratory testing, and community engagement, noting that vaccines alone are insufficient to control the outbreak.
Since the start of 2024, there have been 5,549 confirmed cases of monkeypox across the continent and 643 related deaths, a sharp increase compared to previous years. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for 91% of the total cases.
Most of the monkeypox cases in the DRC and Burundi, the second hardest-hit country, have been reported among children under the age of 15.
The launch of the response plan followed the arrival of the first shipment of monkeypox vaccines in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, the epicenter of the outbreak. The European Union donated 100,000 doses of the vaccine, manufactured by Danish company Bavarian Nordic, through the EU’s Health Emergency Response Authority. Congolese authorities expect another 100,000 doses to arrive on Saturday.
“These vaccines are crucial for protecting healthcare workers, vulnerable populations, and curbing the spread of monkeypox,” Kaseya said on Thursday.
However, the 200,000 doses are only a small fraction of the 3 million doses that authorities estimate are needed to end the outbreak in the DRC, the focus of the global health emergency. EU member states have pledged to donate over 500,000 more doses, but the timeline for their delivery remains unclear.
Emmanuel Lambert, a representative of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in the DRC, remarked that vaccination is an additional tool, but basic public health measures remain essential to containing the outbreak. He acknowledged that significant challenges persist in many parts of the DRC.
The DRC has granted emergency approval for the vaccine, which has already been used in Europe and the U.S. for adults, but by Friday, the timing for the start of the vaccination campaign remained unclear.
For now, Kaseya said the initial rollout would prioritize adults, focusing on targeted groups such as those who have been in close contact with infected individuals and sex workers.
Laurent Muschel, Director General of the European Medicines Agency, stated that the agency is reviewing additional data to approve the vaccine for use in children aged 12 to 17, which could happen by the end of the month.
“We don’t have all the answers. We’re learning as we go. We will adapt our strategy based on the impact of the vaccination campaign,” Muschel told reporters on Friday.
By/radwa sherif ✏️✏️📚
