The World Health Organization issued an urgent appeal for assistance this week by declaring the recent outbreak of mpox in Africa as an international health emergency. However, there is limited funding available to effectively combat the potentially dangerous virus.
To contain the spread of mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries, extensive surveillance, public health education, and vaccination campaigns will be necessary. These efforts are expected to be costly, especially for the impoverished nation at the center of the outbreak.
Currently, the WHO has allocated $1.45 million from its emergency fund, while the African Union has approved $10.4 million from its existing Covid funds for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, could provide the largest contribution with its new $500 million emergency fund for vaccinations.
Despite these efforts, the Africa CDC’s director general estimated that the continent will require $4 billion to effectively combat mpox. Javier Guzman, director of global health policy at the Center for Global Development, emphasized the need for surge financing mechanisms to address the funding gaps.
The outbreak is concentrated in Congo, a country facing numerous challenges such as conflict, poverty, and malnutrition. The presence of millions of internally displaced people further complicates the situation, making it difficult to halt the spread of the virus.
With approximately 15,700 suspected cases and 550 deaths reported this year in Congo, the need for vaccines is critical. However, the cost of the shots, estimated at $100 per dose, is unaffordable for many countries. Congo’s public health minister called on the international community to provide assistance in combating the outbreak.
The funding challenges in addressing the mpox outbreak highlight the broader issue of limited resources for combating deadly diseases. Peter Sands, executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, emphasized the need to repurpose existing funding mechanisms to address the urgent needs presented by mpox.
The declaration of a global health emergency underscores the importance of better understanding the epidemiology of the disease and how it is spreading in Congo. The international community must rally together to provide the necessary resources to combat this public health crisis.
