WHO Predicts Mpox Outbreaks in Africa End Soon

WHO's vaccine shipment to Congo expected within days
By Newser.AI Read our AI policy
Posted Aug 30, 2024 12:43 PM CDT
WHO Predicts Mpox Outbreaks in Africa End Soon
A girl suffering from mpox walks past a treatment centre in Munigi, eastern Congo, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country's health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared...   (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, optimistically stated that the mpox outbreaks in Africa could be controlled within six months. At a press briefing on Friday, Tedros mentioned that WHO's initial vaccine shipment is imminent in Congo, where more than 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths have been reported. WHO has declared the outbreaks a global emergency to incite a stronger global response.

Despite a rapid rise in mpox infections recently, the number of fatalities has remained relatively low. WHO has identified 258 cases of a new mpox variant in regions including Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Sweden, and Thailand. WHO anticipates sending approximately 230,000 vaccines to Congo and other affected areas soon. The agency is also working on educational campaigns to mitigate the spread of mpox in these countries.

Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO's epidemic and pandemic diseases department, emphasized the urgency of accelerating vaccine access given the limited supply. Africa's CDC noted the continent aims to receive about 380,000 vaccine doses from donors such as the US and the European Union. Mpox, commonly known as monkeypox, is related to smallpox and spreads through close contact, causing symptoms ranging from fever and body aches to severe blisters. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)

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