OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada will provide $1 million to help stem mpox in Africa as her government assembles a long-delayed plan on how to engage with the continent. The funding will go to the World Health Organization as it tries to contain the spread of the virus formerly known as monkeypox, which has been spreading rapidly across Africa. Joly is visiting a vaccination co-ordination centre in Ivory Coast, ahead of a visit to South Africa for two days starting Wednesday.
The visit to the West African nation is aimed at exploring shared counterterrorism priorities and affirming Canada's ties with both French-speaking countries. Joly's office says she will also discuss economic partnership between Canada and South Africa and mark 30 years since the end of apartheid. The trip comes days after the Liberals launched consultations for what they are now calling their approach to Africa, which includes where to best station diplomats and what issues to focus on.
The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has asked Canada to donate some of its stockpile of mpox vaccines, though Ottawa has only said it's looking at how it can help. The newly announced funding will go toward improving detection and reporting systems for mpox, such as boosting laboratory testing and speeding up research, according to Joly's office. The funding builds on a $2-million contribution Canada has made for the WHO to respond to health emergencies worldwide.
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