The fight against the escalating mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries faces significant challenges as vaccines remain months away. The World Health Organization (WHO) is considering declaring the outbreak a global emergency, following the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)’s unprecedented declaration of a public health emergency of continental concern on Tuesday.
The Africa CDC’s declaration marks the first time the agency has issued such a warning, highlighting the severity of the situation. On Wednesday, a WHO-led panel is set to deliberate on whether the outbreak poses a global threat. However, despite these critical steps, obstacles persist, including limited vaccine supply, inadequate funding, and competing disease outbreaks.
Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, head of Congo’s Institut National pour la Recherche Biomedicale (INRB), emphasized the importance of an emergency declaration to boost funding for surveillance and vaccine access. Yet, he acknowledged that significant challenges remain in a country grappling with ongoing conflicts and other health crises, such as measles and cholera.
Emmanuel Nakoune, an mpox expert at the Institut Pasteur de Bangui in the Central African Republic, cautioned that without substantial action, declarations alone may have little impact. The Africa CDC recently secured $10.4 million in emergency funding from the African Union and announced plans to obtain 3 million vaccine doses this year. However, sources indicate that only 65,000 doses might be available in the short term, with vaccination campaigns unlikely to start before October.
So far in 2024, Africa has reported over 15,000 suspected mpox cases and 461 deaths, predominantly affecting children in Congo. The viral infection, which causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, has spread to neighboring countries including Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and Kenya. Ivory Coast and South Africa are also experiencing outbreaks linked to different virus strains.
In response to previous global outbreaks, vaccines such as Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos and KM Biologics’ LC16 were used. However, these vaccines are not readily available in Congo or across Africa. While Congo’s regulators approved the vaccines for domestic use in June, the government has yet to request them from manufacturers or international donors like Gavi.
As the situation continues to evolve, the global community’s response will be crucial in addressing the crisis and preventing further spread of mpox in the region.
