President Cyril Ramaphosa has appealed to the World Health Organization and its allies to intensify their support for Africa as the continent faces a Mpox outbreak, now classified as a public health emergency that jeopardizes regional safety.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for increased support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners for Africa in response to the Mpox outbreak, which has been declared a public health emergency jeopardizing the continent’s safety.
In a statement released on Saturday, Ramaphosa, in his role as the African Union (AU) champion for pandemic prevention and response, expressed strong support for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (Africa CDC) designation of Mpox as a critical public health emergency.
“This significant move allows the Africa CDC to take the lead in coordinating our collective response, strengthening efforts against Mpox from local community actions to high-level political and international collaboration.
“This declaration will also drive political leadership and engagement among AU heads of state and government, facilitating the rapid mobilization of essential resources,” he stated.
Ramaphosa urged AU member states to increase their own financial contributions and manage their national Mpox responses with a one-health approach, focusing on improving capabilities in areas such as capacity building, risk communication, community involvement, case detection, contact tracing, and cross-border surveillance.
Since early 2024, there have been 17,541 reported Mpox cases across 13 African Union member states, with 2,822 confirmed and 14,719 suspected cases, along with 517 deaths. Recently, three more countries reported cases awaiting confirmation, increasing the total to 16 affected nations.
“The number of reported cases this year has alarmingly risen by 160% compared to the same period in 2023,” he noted.
Ramaphosa also urged African Union policy bodies to accelerate the finalization of the framework for the African Epidemic Fund, which was approved by heads of state at the 2023 AU Assembly, aiming for implementation by the end of August.
“I am actively monitoring the Mpox situation, receiving frequent updates from the director general of the Africa CDC and the PPPR Commission. The rapid spread of Mpox across various regions within the African Union, coupled with a significant increase in cases and deaths, reflects a troubling shift in the epidemic’s trajectory,” he said.
Ramaphosa praised the Permanent Representatives Committee for their swift action in directing $10.4 million (R187 million) from the Covid-19 Fund to bolster the response to the Mpox outbreak.
He also supported the World Health Organization’s recent classification of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
“This PHEIC needs to correct the issues seen with the 2022 declaration, where vaccines and treatments were largely distributed to Western nations with inadequate support for Africa,” he remarked.
Ramaphosa urged the WHO and its partners to work closely with the Africa CDC to ensure that this emergency declaration results in fair international support, providing necessary diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines.
The WHO has recently called for a boost in Mpox vaccine production to address a more dangerous strain of the virus and requested that countries with vaccine reserves donate them to areas currently facing outbreaks.
Currently, two vaccines are in use for Mpox: MVA-BN from Bavarian Nordic and LC16 from Japan.
Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale advised that while there is no immediate cause for panic, vigilance is essential. He noted that the department is evaluating available Mpox vaccines, but decisions on quantities will be influenced by factors such as disease data, transmission rates, and cost.
“The current situation does not necessitate an urgent vaccine procurement, although vaccines are a crucial part of our pandemic preparedness,” Mohale said.
He added that Mpox vaccines are not yet registered with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) but can be acquired through emergency provisions if required. The department’s immediate focus remains on enhancing risk communication, community outreach, and surveillance efforts.
Dr. Stavros Nicolaou from Aspen Pharmacare, also chair of Pharmaceuticals Manufactured in South Africa, highlighted that Africa remains dependent on international sources for vaccines, due to a lack of local production capacity. He noted that high prices from other countries pose significant challenges for Africa in securing vaccines during public health crises.