President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed deep concern about the rapid spread of Mpox across the African Union (AU) region, as both cases and deaths continue to surge, reflecting a concerning shift in the epidemiological pattern.
The President was speaking in his role as the AU Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPPR) regarding the Mpox outbreak.
"In my role as the AU Champion on PPPR, I have been closely monitoring the evolving Mpox situation, regularly briefed by the Director-General of Africa CDC and PPPR Commission," he said in a statement on Saturday.
Since the start of 2024, he said 17 541 cases (2 822 confirmed and 14 719 suspected) and 517 deaths due to Mpox have been reported across 13 AU Member States.
This week, three additional countries notified cases under investigation for confirmation, which brings the total to 16 countries.
"Alarmingly, the number of reported cases in 2024 has surged by 160% compared to the same period in 2023."
Strengthening the response to Mpox
He said that he fully backs the Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's (Africa CDC) declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security.
"This crucial decision empowers Africa CDC to lead and coordinate our collective response efforts, strengthening the Mpox response at every level - from community engagement to collaboration with the highest political authorities and our international partners."
He believes that the declaration will also galvanise political leadership and engagement among AU Heads of State and Government, facilitating the rapid mobilisation of essential financial and technical resources.
The President also commended the Permanent Representatives Committee for their decisive action in releasing US$ 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."
The President has since called the AU Member States to increase domestic resource allocation, lead their national Mpox outbreak responses and enhance their capacities.
These capabilities include building capacity, risk communication, community engagement, case detection, contact tracing, and cross-border surveillance.
Public Health Emergency of International Concern
He also welcomed the World Health Organisation's (WHO) declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
READ | WHO declares mpox outbreaks in Africa a global health emergency
The WHO said the upsurge of Mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries constitute a PHEIC under the International Health Regulations (IHR).
However, the President said this PHEIC "must be different and correct the unfair treatment from the previous one declared in 2022, where vaccines and therapeutics were developed and made available primarily to Western countries, with little support extended to Africa".
President Ramaphosa has since called upon WHO and all partners to collaborate closely with Africa CDC to ensure that this PHEIC unlocks appropriate support from the international community, guaranteeing equitable access to medical countermeasures, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.
He also urged the international community, partners, and organisations to mobilise stockpiles of vaccines and other medical countermeasures for deployment in Africa, utilising the mechanisms established by Africa CDC to ensure equitable distribution, transparency, and coordination.
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The President said Africa requires robust support in funding, research, and the sharing of technologies, with financial contributions directed to the Africa Epidemic Fund under the leadership of Africa CDC.
Pandemic Agreement
"This is also an opportunity to call on the international community to finalise a fair and equitable Pandemic Agreement - a duty that must be pursued with urgency and a spirit of equity.
"By fostering global partnerships, we can accelerate Africa's response and ensure that all nations, regardless of economic status, have fair access to the resources needed to protect their populations."
As the AU Champion, he vowed to work closely with his esteemed colleagues to ensure adequate political support and fundraising for the continental response to mpox and to prevent a regional and global pandemic.
