Funding shortfalls and limited vaccine supplies are undermining efforts to curb the spread of mpox in Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday, a year after the continent’s outbreak was declared a global health emergency.
Since August 2024, 28 African countries have reported about 174,000 suspected cases and nearly 50,000 confirmed infections, resulting in roughly 240 deaths, WHO’s Africa office said.
The agency cited competing health crises, stigma that discourages care-seeking, and poor access to healthcare as additional obstacles to containing the virus. It said around 3 million doses had been delivered – less than half of the target – with 951,000 administered and about 900,000 people receiving at least one dose.
Despite the challenges, WHO noted some progress, including a 34.5% drop in weekly confirmed cases over the past six weeks. Côte d’Ivoire has gone 42 days without new infections, while Angola, Gabon, Mauritius and Zimbabwe have surpassed 90 days case-free.
WHO outlined priorities for the next six months, including expanding community surveillance, supplying outbreak hotspots, integrating mpox control into broader health programmes, and scaling up targeted vaccinations. It urged donors to increase funding to accelerate the rollout.
