The head of the World Health Organisation believes the ongoing mpox outbreaks in Africa might be stopped in the next six months and says the agency's first shipment of vaccines should arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo within days. or signup to continue reading To date, Africa has received just a tiny fraction of the vaccines needed to slow the spread of the virus, especially in DR Congo, which has the most cases - more than 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths. "With the governments' leadership and close co-operation between partners, we believe we can stop these outbreaks in the next six months," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing.
He said that while mpox - formerly known as monkeypox - infections have been rising quickly in the last few weeks, there have been relatively few deaths. Tedros also noted there were 258 cases of the newest version of mpox, with patients identified in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Sweden and Thailand. Earlier this month, the WHO declared the ongoing mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency, hoping to spur a robust international response to the disease on a continent where cases were spreading largely unnoticed for years, including in Nigeria.
In May, scientists detected a new version of the disease in DR Congo that they think could be spreading more easily. Mpox is related to smallpox but typically causes milder symptoms including fever, headache and body aches. In severe cases, people can develop painful sores and blisters on the face, chest, hands and genitals.
Mpox is typically spread via close skin-to-skin contact. The WHO estimated about 230,000 vaccines could be sent "imminently" to DR Congo and elsewhere. The agency said it was also working on education campaigns to raise awareness of how people could avoid spreading mpox in countries with outbreaks.
Maria Van Kerkhove, who directs the WHO's epidemic and pandemic diseases department, said the agency was working to expedite vaccine access for affected countries - given the limited supply available. Scientists have previously pointed out that without a better understanding of how mpox is spreading in Africa, it may be difficult to know how best to use the shots. Earlier this week, the head of Africa's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the continent was hoping to receive about 380,000 doses of mpox vaccines promised by donors, including the US and the European Union.
The figure is less than 15 per cent of the doses authorities have said are needed to end the mpox outbreaks in DR Congo. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis.
WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. DAILY DURING PARALYMPICS Get the best news and analysis from the Paris Paralympic Games in a daily update.
WEEKLY Every Sunday explore destinations, deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around Australia and the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp.
Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more.
TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over.
AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia.
Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement.
