Amref Health Africa UK – Mpox Statement

Amref Health Africa is deeply concerned by the escalating mpox outbreak in Africa. Since 2022, mpox cases have surged across Africa, with alarming statistics reported as of July 2024. According to Africa CDC, mpox cases have been reported in 15 countries across the continent.

Amref Health Africa welcomes the declarations of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security by Africa CDC, as this will mobilise action and investment in preventing the spread of mpox and facilitate a co-ordinated response to the outbreak. We are committed to ongoing collaborative efforts to control the disease and strongly believe communities across the African continent are central to achieving this. We are building on lessons learned from COVID-19, which highlighted the need for joint initiatives at national, regional and international levels to address infectious disease outbreaks effectively, and the importance of prevention, treatment, and equal access to vaccines.

As Amref Health Africa, we are responding to the outbreak by:

• Providing technical assistance to national governments across Sub-Saharan Africa to prepare for an increase in mpox infections
• Strengthening community-based surveillance on mpox
• Strengthening laboratory capacity for mpox diagnosis
• Training health workers in infection prevention and case management of mpox, integrating these into ongoing activities to support a rapid response
• Providing support to the supply and management of the mpox vaccine

Amref has set up an mpox information centre which provides further information on self-care and prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and vaccination. You can access the information centre here.