Saturday, 17 August 2024
In my role as the African Union (AU) Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPPR), I have been closely monitoring the evolving Mpox situation, regularly briefed by the Director General of Africa CDC and PPPR Commission. I am deeply concerned by the rapid spread of Mpox across multiple regions within the African Union, with a significant rise in both cases and fatalities, reflecting a concerning shift in the epidemiological pattern.
Since the start of 2024, a total of 17,541 cases (2,822 confirmed and 14,719 suspected) and 517 deaths due to Mpox have been reported across 13 AU Member States. This week, 3 additional countries notified cases under investigation for confirmation. That can bring the total to 16 countries. Alarmingly, the number of reported cases in 2024 has surged by 160% compared to the same period in 2023.
As the PPPR Champion, I was consulted on and fully support the Director General of Africa CDC’s declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. This crucial decision empowers Africa CDC to lead and coordinate our collective response efforts, strengthening the Mpox response at every level—from community engagement to collaboration with the highest political authorities and our international partners. The declaration will also galvanize political leadership and engagement among AU Heads of State and Government, facilitating the rapid mobilisation of essential financial and technical resources.
I commend the Permanent Representatives Committee for their decisive action in releasing USD 10.4 million from the COVID-19 Fund to support the Mpox outbreak response. I urge the AU policy organs to expedite the finalisation of the framework for operationalising the African Epidemic Fund, as approved by the Heads of State during the 2023 AU Assembly, by the end of August 2024.
I call upon AU Member States to increase domestic resource allocation, lead their national Mpox outbreak responses through a One Health approach, and enhance their capacities, particularly in areas such as capacity building, risk communication, community engagement, case detection, contact tracing, and cross-border surveillance.
I also welcome the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This PHEIC must be different and correct the unfair treatment from the previous one declared in 2022, where vaccines and therapeutics were developed and made available primarily to Western countries, with little support extended to Africa. I call upon WHO and all partners to collaborate closely with Africa CDC to ensure that this PHEIC unlocks appropriate support from the international community, guaranteeing equitable access to medical countermeasures, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.
I am heartened by the coordinated efforts of Africa CDC, WHO, and UNICEF under the Joint Emergency Preparedness and Response Action Plan (JEAP). I am reassured by the commitment from the Director General of Africa CDC that the JEAP will encompass all relevant partners, ensuring a well-coordinated action led by Africa CDC under a unified African incident management team.
I urge the international community, partners, and organisations to mobilise stockpiles of vaccines and other medical countermeasures for deployment in Africa, utilising the mechanisms established by Africa CDC to ensure equitable distribution, transparency, and coordination. Africa requires robust support in funding, research, and the sharing of technologies, with financial contributions directed to the Africa Epidemic Fund under the leadership of Africa CDC.
This is also an opportunity to call on the international community to finalise a fair and equitable Pandemic Agreement—a duty that must be pursued with urgency and a spirit of equity. By fostering global partnerships, we can accelerate Africa’s response and ensure that all nations, regardless of economic status, have fair access to the resources needed to protect their populations.
As the AU Champion, I will continue to work closely with my esteemed colleagues—H.E. Mohamed Ould El-Ghazaouani, President of Mauritania and Chairperson of the African Union, H.E. Moussa Faki, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC—to ensure adequate political support and fundraising for the continental response to Mpox and to prevent a regional and global pandemic.
