BY YANET FANTAYE WOGAYEHU – Ambassador John N. Nkengasong, the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, said his country will continue supporting African countries to tackle infection diseases including mpox.
“The longstanding partnership the United States has built with mpox-affected countries in the region over the last 20 years to fight infectious diseases, including HIV, TB, Ebola, malaria, and others, is very crucial in the response to this outbreak.,” he said on Monday during digital press conference with African journalists.
“Over the last year, in 2023, the United States allocated more than 2.65 billion – 2.65 billion – in bilateral health funding to countries in Central and East Africa, more than any other donor. We have been working very closely this past year with the DRC and other affected country governments, as well as regional and global health partners, to monitor and respond to the great number of the clade I mpox cases.”
It is indicated that the U.S. Government has been closely monitoring the spread of clade I mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the growing number of cases in the region and has been working closely with the affected country governments, as well as regional and global health partners, to reduce the impact of this outbreak.
Monkeypox is a rare viral zoonotic disease caused by a double stranded DNA virus that belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family. The disease presents with symptoms similar to smallpox but with a lesser severity.
Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research, hence the name ‘monkeypox.’ The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has subsequently spread to other central and western African countries, according to Africa CDC.
It is indicated that there are two known clades of the virus: clade I and clade II. The clade I, which is most frequently reported from countries in central Africa, tends to be more severe than clade II. Cameroon is the only country known to harbour both clades,
“In March of this year, USAID and CDC together have already provided over 20 million to support mpox response efforts for Central and East African countries. And on August 20th, USAID announced up to an additional 35 million in emergency reserve funds to support the response in the region, which is currently pending notification in the U.S. Congress,” Ambassador John N. Nkengasong added, indicating that last week, the United States delivered 50,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to DRC, which we have seen on Friday that this vaccine has been prequalified by WHO, which is very good news.
“And we’re also providing financial support for the rollout of the vaccine doses. Along with donations from the European Union and the manufacturers, more than 250,000 doses have been delivered to DRC in the last two weeks alone,” he said.
According to Ambassador John N. Nkengasong, the United States support also includes testing, genetic sequencing, laboratory training, health workforce, surveillance, and infection control and prevention in people and animals.
“Infection control and prevention, risk communication, and community engagement and research are all critical tools that will be required to blunt the spread of this virus. In short, we need an integrated approach that includes vaccines, but every other measure that I’ve indicated – notably surveillance, laboratory, infection control, and community engagement,” he said.