- Nigeria’s Mpox Vaccination Delay: Nigeria yet to announce date for Mpox vaccinations rollout due to logistical challenges.
- Mpox Cases Surge: Africa reports over 500% increase in Mpox cases since last year, with 48,000 suspected cases and 1,048 deaths.
- Affected Countries: 19 African countries, including Mauritius, affected by Mpox outbreak.
- Vaccination Progress: DRC and Rwanda achieve 100% vaccination rates, but access to child-friendly vaccines remains an issue.
- Global Health Emergency: WHO declares Mpox a global public health emergency for the second consecutive year.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has expressed concern over Nigeria’s delay in announcing a date for its Mpox vaccination rollout. This comes as Mpox cases continue to surge across Africa.
Details of the Outbreak
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a global public health emergency in August, citing the spread of a new variant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to neighboring countries. Central Africa has been hardest hit, accounting for nearly 86% of cases.
Africa CDC’s Call to Action
Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, Chief of Staff at Africa CDC, emphasized the urgent need for political and financial support to check the outbreak and prevent Mpox from evolving into a widespread sexually transmitted pandemic.
