By Sola Ogundipe

Despite the recent launch of a continental response plan by the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa CDC, and the World Health Organization, WHO, Africa recorded 107 new deaths and 3,160 new mpox cases in just one week.

The Director-General of the Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya who described the rising toll as unacceptable, emphasized the need for enhanced cross-border surveillance.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Kayesa said, “In the one week, we lost 107 (people). It’s too much. It’s not acceptable. Africa cannot rely on only confirmed cases for decision-making and response.”

He stressed the need for stronger cross-border surveillance even as he noted that enough testing was not being done and called for increased testing and resources to support it.

In testing for mpox, men recorded 63 percent positivity rate while children under the age of 15 were at 41 percent.

Mpox can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy. The mpox virus is related to smallpox, but causes milder symptoms such as fever, chills, and body aches. Severe cases can lead to lesions on the face, hands, chest, and genitals.

The estimated budget for the six-month plan put forward by Africa CDC and WHO is almost $600 million. The plan focuses on surveillance, laboratory testing and community engagement, amid concerns that vaccines aren’t enough to fight the spreading outbreak.

Some African Union member states have already contributed to the response plan budget, a step that Kaseya lauded as showing ownership by the continent.

Meanwhile, Africa’s mpox vaccine rollout is underway as the continent is in the process of receiving mpox vaccines, with 250,000 doses already delivered to Congo. More than three million doses are needed to end the outbreak in Congo, the epicenter of the global health emergency.

The EU countries have pledged to donate over 500,000 doses, but the delivery timeline remains uncertain. Despite the urgent need, the recommended course of vaccination involves two doses. Since the beginning of the year, Africa CDC has recorded 5,731 confirmed mpox cases and 724 associated deaths