Infectious disease experts coordinate: Africa is getting ready to respond more forcefully to the growing danger posed by the monkeypox virus, often called simian pox. Under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 250 specialists met in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on April 13 to discuss ways to limit the spread of this disease in Africa.
More than 110 nations have reported over 92,000 human cases, which is a very worrying situation. There were 14,600 cases and 654 deaths in the DRC in 2023, indicating a serious impact.
“Very recently in the DRC, for the first time, we observed sexual transmissions of Monkeypox,” Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the renowned virologist and co-discoverer of the Ebola virus, says, emphasizing the critical nature of the condition. The severity, breadth, and sexual transmission of the disease mean that it impacts nearly every province. It’s an urgent matter of public health.
The specialists vowed to coordinate their efforts in the areas of diagnosis, laboratory optimization, and vaccine research in order to combat the epidemic.
According to Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, the head of the Africa CDC and chief of staff, it is crucial to: “Facilitate the enhancement of preparedness and response capacity to mitigate the impact of Monkeypox in Africa and beyond, strengthen effective surveillance, national laboratory capacity, rapid epidemic response, and engagement with affected communities.”
By strengthening monitoring capacity, risk communication, and community participation, WHO is also committed to supporting these activities.
“We will be addressing various aspects of the issue,” adds Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa. Our starting points will be regional, national, and international. In order to move this agenda forward, we are prepared to work with governments.
Immediate and effective improvements to the response to the monkeypox pandemic are required since every second counts in this struggle. The health ministers of twelve African nations have come together to formulate a strategy to fight monkeypox because of the pressing need to do so.
Efforts to secure African populations, find and stop the disease’s spread, and make the future safer and more resilient are also part of the plan.
