The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has set an ambitious target to raise $600 million to combat the rapidly growing mpox outbreak across the continent, according to its director general, Jean Kaseya. This announcement follows the World Health Organization’s declaration in mid-August of mpox as a global health emergency, driven by a new strain spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to neighboring countries.
Kaseya expressed optimism about securing the necessary funds, saying, “If you want to know if I’m positive that we can raise the $600 million, I will safely say yes.” He outlined potential funding sources, including contributions from African Union countries, development partners, philanthropies, and the private sector.
In August, Africa CDC had estimated the cost of the mpox response at $245 million but had only raised about $20 million at the time. While Kaseya did not clarify the reasons for the increased cost, which now excludes vaccine expenses, he did mention ongoing discussions with international vaccine alliance GAVI and The Pandemic Fund, a multilateral organization focused on pandemic response.
A significant part of Africa CDC’s strategy involves reducing the cost of vaccines by 80-90% through technology transfers. Talks with Danish biotech company Bavarian Nordic are underway to begin manufacturing mpox vaccines in Africa, which would make the vaccines more affordable for African countries.
Kaseya is expected to announce the funds raised during the upcoming U.N. General Assembly in New York later this month.
Africa has reported over 26,000 suspected mpox cases and 724 deaths in 2024, according to Africa CDC data. UNICEF highlighted that in the DRC, children under 15 account for 60% of suspected cases and 80% of deaths this year.
The funding will be critical in scaling up efforts to control the outbreak, as Kaseya emphasized the need for increased international collaboration and support to tackle this growing health crisis.
