Africa is struggling to contain a surging outbreak of mpox, with the continent securing less than 10% of the estimated $245 million needed to combat the infection.
This alarming revelation came from a senior official at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) during a WHO meeting.
The global health emergency, declared by the World Health Organization in mid-August, has been fueled by a new strain of mpox originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spreading to neighboring countries.
Africa CDC has assembled a budget to assess the financial resources required to address the outbreak effectively.
According to Ngashi Ngongo, Chief of Staff at Africa CDC, the initial estimate for the mpox response stands at $245 million.
While the Democratic Republic of Congo government has pledged $10 million and the African Union has approved $10.4 million, the total available funding for the response currently amounts to approximately $20 million.
This leaves a significant funding gap of $224 million.
In addition to securing financial support, Africa CDC is actively working to acquire mpox vaccines.