The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday declared a public health emergency for mpox amid an outbreak that has spread from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to neighbouring countries.
The spread of a new and more transmissible strain of the viral infection, formerly known as monkeypox, has raised concerns, compelling the agency to issue its first continental public health emergency.
“We declare today this public health emergency of continental security to mobilise our institutions, our collective will and our resources to act swiftly and decisively,” Africa CDC director general Jean Kaseya said in a briefing.
Mr Kaseya said he hoped that the declaration would be seen as a “call to action” to try to contain the virus.
The announcement was made before a World Health Organisation meeting on whether the outbreak necessitates the declaration of an international health emergency.
Hundreds of cases have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the past 12 months, and others have been found in neighbouring countries. Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda reported their first mpox cases in the past month.
The current outbreak has been fuelled by the deadlier mpox clade 1, and the new mutated variant called clade 1b.
“We are tracking closely on the spread of mpox in Central Africa,” US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said. “We are pleased to see international leadership in this area.”
Data shared by the WHO showed there were more mpox cases reported in the first half of this year than in all of 2023.
Human-to-human transmission is most probably made through close contact or sexual activity, as well as touching items used by someone infected with the disease.
An mpox infection causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions all over the body. Infections can be prevented with a two-dose vaccine regimen and treated with antiviral medication. Most cases are not lethal.
In 2022, a global public health emergency was declared when thousands of cases were recorded in a rare outbreak of mpox in western countries. Vaccine programmes were rolled out in the US and the UK, and the emergency ended in May 2023.
The mpox virus is considered endemic in Africa, but countries in the continent historically do not have vaccines to address the health threat.
Mr Kaseya has repeatedly suggested Africa needs more than 10 million doses of the mpox vaccine – up from the current stockpile of 200,000 – and said on Tuesday that the health agency is trying to secure more.
West Indies v India - Third ODI
India 251-4 (50 overs)
Dhoni (78*), Rahane (72), Jadhav (40)
Cummins (2-56), Bishoo (1-38)
West Indies 158 (38.1 overs)
Mohammed (40), Powell (30), Hope (24)
Ashwin (3-28), Yadav (3-41), Pandya (2-32)
India won by 93 runs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The five pillars of Islam
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3. Hajj
4. Shahada
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