Chinedu Asadu, The Associated Press
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ABUJA, Nigeria — Africa must be part of a united global fight against monkeypox, the Africa office of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday, as countries in Europe, the United States States and elsewhere are reacting to unusual outbreaks of the disease.
“We need to have an integrated global response to prevent smallpox from becoming endemic in more countries,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO director for Africa, in an online briefing.
As countries in the developed world find ways to limit the spread of this virus, “it is very important that (…) we make sure we share these tools, that we build capacity around the world to respond to these outbreaks” , she said.
“What is extremely important now is to avoid any potential for a repeat of the inequitable access to COVID-19 vaccines that African countries experienced at the start of the pandemic,” Ms. Moeti said.
Monkeypox is generally present in West and Central African countries where tropical rainforests are found. But this disease has recently been reported in more than 20 countries, including Britain, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Israel and Australia. More than 500 cases have been reported so far, with several believed to be linked to sex at two recent techno (“rave”) parties in Europe. No deaths have been reported.
Genome sequencing of the virus has so far not shown a direct link to the outbreak outside of Africa, according to health officials.
Difficult screening in Africa
Meanwhile, seven of Africa’s 54 countries have reported the presence of the disease and there have been about three times as many cases of monkeypox as usual. There have been more than 1,400 suspected cases and 63 deaths in African countries where the disease is endemic – Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo and Nigeria – according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But only 44 of those suspected cases have been confirmed, said Dr Fiona Braka, who heads emergency operations at the WHO Africa office in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
The large discrepancy between suspected and confirmed cases is believed to be partly attributable to limited testing capacity in African countries, Dr Braka said. Only 10 countries in Africa are able to screen for the disease, she pointed out.
To improve control of monkeypox in Africa, health workers need to engage with local communities in ways that minimize any stigma around the disease, she suggested. She also indicated that more needs to be known about animal-to-human transmission, as well as human-to-human transmission.
The monkeypox virus belongs to the same family as the smallpox virus. Smallpox vaccines are said to be about 85% effective against monkeypox, according to the WHO.
Countries in the developed world have started using smallpox vaccines and are considering the use of antivirals to control their outbreak of monkeypox. Doctors in Africa believe that these resources should also be available to help them.
One of the hardest-hit countries on the continent is Congo, which has recorded 465 suspected cases and nine deaths from the disease this year, health authorities said this week.
Nigeria, one of four African countries where this monkeypox is endemic, has been reporting sporadic cases every year since 2017. It has confirmed 21 cases so far this year, according to Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, director of the Centers for Disease Control from the country.
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