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Response to Africa's mpox outbreak: Much is missing

Staff Reporter DevNews

Updated: Oct 3, 2024

A critical challenge has emerged in the response to Africa’s mpox outbreak: More than two-thirds of new cases are appearing in people - health workers haven’t been monitoring and who aren’t known to have been in contact with existing patients.


“That shows that your surveillance is not working, which is the reality in most of these countries,” says Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s lead on coordination of the continent’s mpox response.

There have been over 32,400 suspected and confirmed mpox cases already this year on the African continent, and at least 840 deaths. The majority of both have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The critical first step to getting the outbreak under control is understanding how the disease is moving through communities. But that’s not yet happening.

There are several reasons for this, including insufficient testing. Fewer than half of all suspected cases are getting tested. Then there is the problem that health workers don’t have access to rapid tests that would facilitate quick results. Instead, tests often go to laboratories, and it can take days for patients to learn if they are infected. This has left many health workers to diagnose people based on symptoms.


And there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the disease, including why so many children have contracted it during this outbreak.

In another blow to the mpox response, Public Citizen revealed this week that UNICEF has been overpaying for the mpox vaccine. The agency announced that it had negotiated the lowest market price from the manufacturer Bavarian Nordic on behalf of low-income countries, at $65 per dose. But Public Citizen reports that the U.S. government is paying $10 less per dose.


A Bavarian Nordic spokesperson mentions - the report was incorrect and that UNICEF received the lowest available price for the vaccine, but did not provide any additional details.


UNICEF was responsible for an emergency tender to secure vaccines for the countries hardest hit by the outbreak. Much is missing in the response to Africa's mpox outbreak. Disclaimer: This story has been edited by DNW staff as per DNW editorial guidelines and is published from a syndicated feed. Image credit: Reuters



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