Africa CDC seeks $600M to fight spread of mpox

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is seeking $600 million towards the mpox response on the continent, its director general, Jean Kaseya, said Thursday.

Speaking during an online press briefing, Kaseya called on Western nations to help meet the funding gap, saying “it’s really time for solidarity.”

“We don’t want to come back again tomorrow to say you again abandoned Africa,” he said.

The funding is expected to come from African Union countries, development partners, philanthropies and the private sector.

At least 107 new deaths and 3,160 new cases of mpox were recorded in the past week, according to the latest figures announced by Africa CDC.

Kaseya said the mpox testing rate stands at 52.9%, which he noted highlights insufficient testing across the continent.

“We cannot rely solely on confirmed cases for decision-making and response,” he said.

Africa has recorded over 26,000 suspected mpox cases including 724 deaths so far this year, according to Africa CDC data.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the most affected country in the region, with over 4,900 confirmed mpox cases and more than 620 deaths.