The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said Nigeria was 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.”
The Chief of Staff at Africa CDC, Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, said this during a weekly webinar briefing on the outbreak.
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, regretting 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, adding 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 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.”
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.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had 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 neighbouring countries. (NAN)
