Lara Adejoro, Abuja
The European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen has announced an additional €20m funding towards the fight against Mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This additional funding contributes to the DRC’s Mpox response and supports preparedness against epidemics as part of the EU’s objective to support the strengthening of health systems in Africa.
This was disclosed in a joint press statement made available to journalists on Wednesday.
As of September, DRC has reported over 4,901 confirmed Mpox cases, with more than 629 associated deaths.
The statement noted that Urpilainen discussed the new announcement and coordination needed to tackle Mpox outbreaks with the Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jean Kaseya.
This is a critical contribution toward the implementation of the joint Africa CDC-WHO Mpox Continental Preparation and Response Plan.
The additional funding for the DRC, according to the statement, complements the 215,000 doses of mpox vaccines donated by the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority to the Africa CDC to address the current crisis across the African continent as well as the 365,000 doses of mpox vaccine donated by Team Europe.
“We are committed to tackle health crises and increase resilience together with the African partners. This is a joint mission to improve global health security. The additional funding of €20 million comes on to previous support and vaccine donations by the EU and its Member States,” Urpilainen said.
The statement added that the funding is part of a coordinated response by the EU towards strengthening the preparedness and response capacities for both current and future health emergencies in affected countries.
Team Europe is a lead investor in global health initiatives such as the Pandemic Fund which is fast-tracking funds for enhanced laboratory capacity, surveillance and detection of the virus, and the training of emergency workforce for vaccinations.
The new funds will contribute to tackling both the current and future health emergencies in a coordinated intervention with partners such as the WHO and affected countries. The European Union is committed to strengthening health systems and preparedness and response capacity in Africa, including through the Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies.
On his part, Kaseya emphasised, “Africa CDC sincerely appreciates the generous support of the EU towards the fight against the Mpox outbreak in Africa. Together with the EU and our partners, we are determined to defeat this outbreak. I urge all Member States to act swiftly—mobilize vaccination efforts to protect our citizens and mitigate the devastating effects of this disease.”
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