Global Solidarity Urged as Africa Faces Rising Mpox Cases Amid Travel Ban Concerns

In a recent media briefing, Jean Kaseya, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), passionately urged the international community to refrain from imposing travel bans on African nations grappling with an outbreak of mpox. Kaseya's call for solidarity comes amid concerning statistics, with approximately 1,400 new cases and 24 deaths reported over the past week linked to a new strain of the virus. Kaseya emphasized the need for support rather than punitive measures, stating, “Don’t punish Africa. We need solidarity, we need you to provide appropriate support. This vaccine is expensive.” His remarks highlight a critical perspective that travel restrictions could not only hinder the continent's efforts to manage the outbreak but also echo the inequities faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), identified as the source of this outbreak, has seen a significant rise in cases, with DRC's health minister, Roger Kamba, reporting 16,700 cases and 570 deaths this year alone. Kaseya expressed hope that vaccines would soon be available in the DRC, underscoring the importance of establishing robust community-level testing networks to ensure that no cases go undetected. In addressing the global response to the mpox outbreak, Kaseya pointed to ongoing discussions with Bavarian Nordic, a vaccine manufacturer, about the potential for local production to reduce costs. The company has indicated its readiness to provide 2 million doses this year, contingent on prompt action and successful negotiations involving the World Health Organization (WHO). While the majority of cases in the global outbreak last year were observed in gay and bisexual men, it is noteworthy that in the current DRC outbreak, children account for a staggering 70% of cases. This shift underscores the urgent need for comprehensive education on the disease and its transmission, especially since misunderstandings exist regarding how mpox spreads. Kaseya called for increased awareness that the virus can be transmitted through close contact with an infected person, not just through sexual activities. Experts like Congolese virologist Prof Jean-Jacques Muyembe have underscored the importance of recalling the lessons learned from previous pandemics, advocating for continued public health practices that promote hygiene and safe interactions. “We must put all this in place again and not lose from our memory what we've learned from past diseases,” he stated, reinforcing the need for a multi-faceted approach to combatting mpox. The WHO's regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, has pointed out that mpox should not be likened to COVID-19, as existing knowledge about the disease allows for more effective containment strategies through surveillance and community engagement. With most current cases located in the DRC, there have also been reports of the clade 1b strain appearing in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, heightening the urgency for coordinated regional responses. As the situation unfolds, Kaseya's message resonates strongly: the fight against mpox in Africa calls for global solidarity, equitable access to health resources, and a commitment to learning from past public health challenges rather than repeating historical patterns of isolation and stigma.