Ramaphosa calls on Western nations to release mpox vaccination stockpiles as African cases surge
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged the international community, partners, and organisations to release stockpiles of mpox vaccines and other medical counter-measures for deployment to Africa.On 14 August, the World Health Organisation declared mpox, which broke out in 2022, a public health emergency of international concern.
Ramaphosa said in the statement that to date, 2 822 cases of mpox have been confirmed, 517 deaths have been reported and there are 14 719 suspected cases in 13 African Union member states.This week, additional countries notified cases under investigation for confirmation. That can bring the total to 16 countries. Alarmingly, the number of reported cases in 2024 has surged by 160% compared to the same period in 2023.
"I commend the Permanent Representatives Committee for their decisive action in releasing USD 10.4 million from the Covid-19 Fund to support the mpox outbreak response. I urge the AU policy organs to expedite the finalisation of the framework for operationalising the African Epidemic Fund, as approved by the heads of state during the 2023 AU Assembly, by the end of August 2024," he said.
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