BETHLEHEM – Ma’an – Despite its spread in Africa, and its being considered an emergency that requires taking rapid steps to contain it, the monkeypox vaccine will not be available for months in Africa, as there are still many obstacles, including limited vaccine supply, funding, and the spread of other diseases.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says there have been more than 15,000 suspected cases of monkeypox in Congo this year, with 461 deaths, most of them children.

A vaccine to help contain an outbreak of monkeypox (M.pox) in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries is unlikely to be available for months, even as the World Health Organization (WHO) considers following the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in declaring the outbreak a public health emergency.

The Africa CDC, the continent’s top public health agency, declared a continent-wide public health emergency on Tuesday for the first time, and a WHO-led committee will meet on Wedne
sday to determine whether the outbreak poses a global threat.

While experts hope the meetings will lead to stepped-up global action to combat the disease, many obstacles remain, including limited vaccine supply, funding and the outbreak of other diseases.

Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum, head of Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, said it was important to declare an emergency because the disease was spreading, adding that he hoped any declaration would help provide more funding for surveillance and support vaccine access in Congo.

But he acknowledged the road ahead was full of obstacles in a vast country where health facilities and humanitarian funds have been strained by conflict and other outbreaks of diseases such as measles and cholera.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week it had received $10.4 million in emergency funding from the African Union to tackle monkeypox, and its director general, Jean Kasia, said on Tuesday there was a clear plan to deliver 3 mil
lion doses this year, without elaborating.

But sources involved in planning the Congo vaccination campaign said only 65,000 doses would be available in the short term, and campaigns were unlikely to begin before October at the earliest.

There have been more than 15,000 suspected cases of monkeypox in Congo this year, with 461 deaths, most of them children, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

While usually mild, the viral infection can sometimes be fatal, causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled blisters.

Source: Maan News Agency