Over US$800 Million Pledged to Africa CDC in Fight...

Over US$800 Million Pledged to Africa CDC in Fight Against Mpox Outbreak

Zim Now Writer

Over US$800 million has been pledged to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to combat a surging mpox outbreak on the continent, the agency's head announced on Thursday, stating that this figure exceeded expectations.

The agency had initially aimed to raise US$600 million to address mpox, which was declared a global health emergency in mid-August following the emergence of a new strain spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring countries.

According to data from the Africa CDC, the continent has reported over 32,000 suspected mpox cases and 840 deaths so far this year.

Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC, informed reporters that the agency had received pledges totaling US$814 million to support its response plan. With additional support, the total could rise to around US$1 billion.

A significant portion of this funding will originate from the United States, which is set to provide $500 million along with 1 million vaccine doses as part of the response plan.

Additionally, Africa CDC will receive approximately US$314 million from a newly established mpox fund that collects contributions from member states and partners. This amount includes US$129 million offered by the pandemic fund.

Kaseya further revealed that the agency has secured 4.3 million vaccine doses out of the more than 10 million needed to effectively control the outbreak.

Additional funding has also been provided by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness, which has allocated around US$72 million for vaccine development and US$145 million to enhance manufacturing capacity in Africa, particularly in Rwanda.