Quotes
As we got through the eradication of smallpox, mpox picked up in the background,
he said in an interview with CTV Morning Live on Thursday We have to appreciate though that the longer that we let clade I to run unabated in Central Africa, the greater the risk is for further geographic expansion,
However, planning is underway to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK
This clade Ib is spreading predominantly through intimate and sexual contact and so could well spread rapidly to areas around the world,
There is further concern about the lack of access to vaccines and a globally slow response to vaccine production and distribution. Even though there are existing effective vaccines, there are not enough doses and they are not being getting to where they are needed."
There are multiple outbreaks happening at present,
Jonas Albarnaz, a research fellow specializing in pox viruses at The Pirbright Institute, a research institute in England for the study of infectious disease, said in a statement While there is (a) cross-border spread of a potentially more severe mpox Clade I in parts of Central and East Africa, the outbreak has thus far remained within the African continent, with no reported cases of Clade I exported out of the African continent,
the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Thursday (Aug 15). We have informed all medical practitioners and healthcare institutions to be vigilant in detecting and reporting all mpox cases, including those suspected of Clade I infections,
The situation is concerning because of the spread of the clade 1b virus, which is considered to cause more severe disease, and because there are many children being infected in DRC during this new outbreak,
Brian Ferguson, an associate professor of immunology at the University of Cambridge, said in a statement These declarations amount to a call for action, and should lead to the prompt mobilization of money and resources, and a co-ordinated international response to the epidemic,
Jimmy Whitworth, an emeritus professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said in a statement in response to the WHO's announcement In addition to ongoing health support, in the last few months the United States has provided an additional $17 million USD to support clade I mpox preparedness and response efforts in Central and Eastern Africa,
the department said in a statement The amount of vaccine required has been estimated by Africa CDC to be 10 million doses. The cost and availability of vaccine is going to be a great challenge, but it is really important that, unlike in the COVID-19 pandemic, there is global solidarity, that the vaccine reaches the people who need it most and that it is not stockpiled by rich countries."
WHO is on the ground, working with the affected countries, and others at risk, through our country and regional offices...For example, we are providing machines to analyse blood samples and confirm cases of mpox. We're supporting laboratories to sequence viral samples, we're on the ground supporting case investigation, contact tracing, risk communication and community engagement,
We have released USD 1.45 million from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies, and we plan to release more in the coming days. We are also appealing to donors to fund the rest of the response plan,
WHO is committed in the days and weeks ahead to coordinate the global response, working closely with each of the affected countries, and leveraging our on-the-ground presence, to prevent transmission, treat those infected, and save lives. I thank the Emergency Committee for its work and advice,
We're training health workers and supporting clinicians to provide appropriate care; We're supporting countries to access vaccines and develop the strategies to roll them out; And much more,
The emergence last year and rapid spread of clade 1b in DRC, which appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks, and its detection in countries neighbouring DRC is especially concerning,
he said, citing Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda We can stop transmission of mpox with a concerted effort."
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director, insisted Despite a safe and effective vaccine and antiviral treatment against mpox, these are not readily available to most [African Union member states]. Thus, we have listed the risk level as high,
wrote Africa CDC in a report on July 30, 2024. Mpox is not a new disease, so there are established diagnostic and treatment protocols for it and there is some experience in dealing with the disease,