The call for access for all who need it by Special Rapporteur Tlaleng Mofokeng, coincided with the arrival of vaccine shipments and the start of planned rollouts by health authorities in some of the hardest-hit African countries.
Nigeria received about 10,000 doses of the mpox vaccine last weekand the Democratic Republic of Congo – the epicenter of the current outbreak of an infectious strain known as Clade 1b – received the first shipment on Thursday.
“Equitable access to vaccines for all, including populations from the so-called Global South, is crucial,” she said, stressing that “Global access to MPOX vaccines for all who need them is a matter of human rights.“
She called on developed countries and companies to do their part.
“States, particularly those from the Global North, have an active role to play in providing global solidarity…Companies should not put profits before saving lives.“
Coordination is the key
Ms Mofokeng stressed the need for coordinated action, guided by a commitment to protect and promote the fundamental right to health for all.
“Surveillance, preparedness and response activities related to mpox should coordinated in a manner that includes all population groups“, she said, especially the most vulnerable.
These include older people, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples, people living in extreme poverty, the homeless, migrants, refugees and displaced people, as well as people in detention, drug users and LGBTIQ+ people.
Appointed and mandated by the Geneva-based Human Rights CouncilThe Special Rapporteur is independent of the United Nations. Ms. Mofokeng is not a UN employee and receives no salary for her work.
Scaling up response
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (African CDC) launched a joint response plan on Friday to support the continental spread of the virus.
The plan, estimated to cost $600 million and running from September to February next year, will allocate approximately 55 percent of the funds to Mpox response and preparedness activities in 29 African countries, while the remainder will be spent on operational and technical support through partners.
“This is an important milestone for coordinated action between our agencies to support countries by strengthening expertise and mobilizing resources and capabilities. to quickly and effectively stop the spread of mpox“, said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
“By working together we can achieve more, and our collective strength will take us further“To ensure that communities and individuals are protected from the threat of this virus,” Dr. Moeti added.
Mpox virus
Mpox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus (often abbreviated as MPXV). Common symptoms include a rash that can last two to four weeks, accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
The disease can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with someone who is contagious, or with infected animals. Treatment is supportive and aimed at relieving symptoms. Several therapies are being developed and tested that may be effective against mpox.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern – the highest alert level under international health law, on 14 August, following advice from global health experts of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee.
