The World Health Organization (WHO) has released $1 million from its contingency fund for emergencies to enhance the global response to mpox.
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Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of WHO, made the announcement during an online media conference on Wednesday, August 7.
The WHO boss explained that the organization has devised a regional response plan requiring $15 million to support surveillance, preparedness, and response activities. He highlighted that two vaccines for mpox have been approved by national regulatory authorities listed by WHO and are recommended by the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE).
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To facilitate vaccine access, especially in lower-income countries that have not yet granted national regulatory approval, Dr Ghebreyesus initiated the Emergency Use Listing process. This measure will also enable partners like Gavi and UNICEF to procure and distribute the vaccines.
Since early 2024, DR Congo has been facing a severe mpox outbreak, with over 14,000 reported cases and 511 deaths. Mpox outbreaks in DR Congo have been documented for decades, with a steady annual increase in cases. The number of cases reported in the first six months of this year matches the total for all of the previous year, with the virus spreading to new provinces.
In the past month, over 50 confirmed and suspected cases have been reported in neighboring countries—Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, that had not previously encountered the disease.
Mpox outbreaks are driven by various viral clades. Clade 1, which has circulated in DR Congo for years, and clade 2, responsible for the global outbreak that began in 2022, are notable.
The current outbreak in DR Congo is linked to a new variant of clade 1, known as clade 1b, which is associated with more severe disease than clade 2.
Clade 1b has been confirmed in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, while the clade in Burundi is still under analysis. Additionally, clade 1a has been reported in DR Congo, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of Congo this year. Clade 2 has been detected in Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Dr Ghebreyesus affirmed that WHO is collaborating with the affected countries’ governments, the Africa CDC, NGOs, civil society, and other partners to address and understand the factors driving these outbreaks.