The World Health Organisation (WHO) has allocated $1.45 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies in response to the ongoing global Mpox outbreak.
WHO is fast-tracking the distribution of Mpox vaccines, as recommended by the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation. The vaccines are undergoing Emergency Use Listing (EUL) to speed up access by lower-income countries.
A global vaccine alliance, Gavi, has also allocated up to $500 million from its “First Response” fund to support the vaccine rollout in affected regions.
WHO’s regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said strengthening control measures and close coordination with other leaders would be crucial to containing the spread of the virus.
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) recently declared Mpox a “public health emergency of continental security.”
From January 1, 2022 to June 30 2024, a total of 99,176 cases of Mpox, including 208 deaths, were recorded across the globe, a report published by WHO noted. According to the report, Region of the Americas recorded the highest cases of Mpox with 62,904 cases and 141 deaths. Second was the European Region with 27,529 Mpox cases and 10 deaths, followed by African Region, with 4,232 cases and 35 deaths.
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