IFPMA’s Post

Like many of you, I am deeply concerned by the rising number of cases of #mpox in Africa. It has now been declared a public health emergency of both continental and international concern by Africa CDC and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the World Health Organization. The seriousness of these outbreaks in more than a dozen African countries serves as a reminder of the constant threat of disease outbreaks and the importance of preparedness. Now, for mpox, this includes the availability and accessibility of vaccines and treatments to protect and save lives. Both Africa CDC and WHO have said they are working closely with companies who have approved mpox vaccines, and it is critical that the international community works to ensure they can reach the people who need them as quickly as possible. Following the declaration of mpox as a PHEIC, we now need to focus on: -Disease surveillance to comprehensively understand the epidemiology of mpox and ensure the right diagnostics are in place -Regulatory approval and emergency authorization for mpox vaccines -Procurement strategies that ensure available vaccines can be distributed where they will have the most impact, and orders are placed as soon as possible to enable manufacturers to scale up production accordingly -Immunization and healthcare delivery strategies that will help curb the spread of the disease and reach those whose need for vaccines and treatments is most urgent. This requires constructive collaboration across the international community. We must focus on what needs to be done to control this disease – across multiple outbreaks of different clades through different modes of transmission and with different levels of risk – and how we commit to doing it.