Africa’s CDC has announced that pox is now considered a public health emergency

On Tuesday, the African Union’s primary body responsible for health concerns raised the alarm over the escalating pox epidemic within the continent. This move underscores the urgent need for collective action. Highlighting the severe impact, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where pox was first identified in humans in 1970, the situation has prompted significant concern. Jean Kaseya, the leader of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), emphasized the gravity of the situation during a digital press conference.

“With a heavy heart but with an unyielding commitment to our people, to our African citizens, we declare pox as a public health emergency of continental security,” he stated.

Kaseya highlighted the widespread effects of the virus, noting its devastating toll on communities across Africa. Latest figures from the CDC as of August 4 show the continent grappling with 38,465 pox cases and 1,456 deaths since January 2022.

Kaseya elaborated on the significance of this declaration, stressing the necessity for a shift from reactive measures to a proactive and robust response. This marked the initial invocation of the continental security authority bestowed upon the agency in 2022, aiming to facilitate the early mobilization of funds and resources to combat the spread of the disease. Boghuma Titanji, an assistant professor at Emory University, commented on the crucial nature of this step for better coordination and funding amongst African nations, criticizing the reliance on inadequate foreign aid.

The CDC’s notice precedes a critical meeting by the World Health Organization’s emergency committee, set for August 14, to consider elevating the situation to a global emergency. “What we are declaring today can be complemented by the action WHO can take,” Kaseya noted. The U.S. has expressed its commitment to international collaboration on this front, with the State Department’s Vedant Patel acknowledging the U.S.’s financial contributions aimed at bolstering African nations’ response to the outbreak.

The rise in pox cases globally in May 2022, primarily among gay and bisexual men due to the Clade IIb strain, previously prompted the WHO to issue a PHEIC, lasting until May 2023. Despite this, access to essential medical resources in Africa remained limited, as pointed out by Titanji. Mpox, renamed from monkeypox in 2022, is noted for its transmission from animals to humans, featuring symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and distinctive skin lesions. It is divided into two strains, with a recent surge in the DRC attributed to a new strain, Clade Ib.

Since 2009, the declaration of a PHEIC by the WHO has occurred seven times, addressing global health crises such as H1N1, poliovirus, Ebola, Zika, and Covid-19, alongside pox.