The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says Nigeria has yet to announce a date for Mpox vaccinations rollout, even as cases keep surging across Africa.
The organisation noted that presently, Mpox cases in the continent have risen to more than 500 per cent from last year’s record.
Dr Ngashi Ngongo, Chief of Staff at Africa CDC, said this during a weekly webinar briefing on the outbreak.
Recall that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Mpox a global public health emergency in August for the second consecutive year.
This followed the spread of a new variant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to neighboring countries.
According to Ngongo, logistical challenges have delayed Nigeria’s vaccination efforts.
He said “the situation is not yet under control”, stressing the urgent need for political and financial support to check the outbreak and prevent Mpox from evolving into a widespread sexually transmitted pandemic.
He noted that the outbreak had affected 19 countries, with Mauritius recently becoming the latest.
He regretted that Nigeria had continued to postpone its planned vaccination campaign.
“The recent Mpox case in Mauritius was identified in a popular tourist area known for its stunning beaches and crystal-clear waters”, Ngongo said.
He further explained that while countries such as the DRC and Rwanda had achieved 100 per cent vaccination rates, access to child-friendly vaccines remained a pressing issue.
“Since January 2024, confirmed Mpox cases have surged by 500 per cent when compared to 2023.
“Data indicate that Mpox has become a serious health concern, with over 48,000 suspected cases and 1,048 deaths reported across the 19 African countries.
“Central Africa has been hardest hit, accounting for nearly 86 per cent of cases”, he said.
He noted that the new Mpox strain, clade Ib, has spread beyond the DRC to other regions, including Europe.
“Cases are still increasing in several countries as the continent struggles to contain yet another major outbreak,” he warned.
He highlighted that the recent crisis follows the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed weaknesses in Africa’s health system.
He stressed that the continent urgently “needs sustained political and financial mobilisation” to prevent Mpox from becoming a pandemic on a scale “which could be much more severe than COVID-19”.
NAN recalls that Mpox, a viral disease related to smallpox, causes fever, body aches, swollen lymph nodes and a blistering rash. The virus has two primary sub-types; clade 1 and clade 2.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom reported its first case of the latest Mpox variant, clade 1b, on Wednesday. This variant has also been detected in Sweden and Germany.
Central Africa, particularly the DRC, remains the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for 85.7 per cent of cases and 99.5 per cent of deaths on the continent.
Most fatalities have occurred in the DRC, which launched a vaccination campaign earlier this month.
