Africa CDC and WHO launch joint plan to combat mpox outbreak

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI,Kenya (AA) - The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday jointly launched a continental plan to scale up the response to the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa.

The initiative, announced in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, focuses on improving surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, and vaccination efforts to curb the spread of the disease.

The plan emphasizes collaboration among African countries to ensure that all nations are adequately equipped to handle potential outbreaks.

Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC Director General during the launch noted that,” we are proud to jointly launch this plan which unites all stakeholders in a coordinated approach to tackling the mpox outbreaks across Africa.”

“This unified strategy ensures that all partners are aligned on common objectives, eliminating duplication and maximizing impact,” he added.

The Mpox Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, with a budget of US$600 million, focuses on both response and preparedness across 29 Member States.

Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, noted that it aims to strengthen surveillance, laboratory testing, community engagement, and ensure the availability of critical countermeasures.

“By coming together we can achieve more, and our collective strength will carry us further, ensuring that communities and individuals are protected from the threat of this virus,” he said.

Congo on Thursday received its first shipment of mpox vaccines to help curb the spread of the virus in the epicenter of the outbreak on the continent.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency Aug. 14 and Africa CDC declared it a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) a day earlier.