The financing will support critical response and prevention efforts for 9.9 million refugees and host communities in 35 countries across the continent.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that can be transmitted through physical contact with an infected person, animal, or contaminated objects.
Read our explanation here.
New virus strain
The disease has been endemic in parts of Africa for decades, but the rising number of cases of the new strain of the mpox virus, clade 1b, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has the World Health Organization (WHO) Unpleasant declare a public health emergency of international concern on August 14th.
So far this year, more than 20,000 suspected cases have been reported in Africa. At least 88 have been among refugees, 68 of them in the DRC. Cases have also been reported among refugees in the Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
Refugees in danger
Allen Maina, UN refugee agencythe chief public health officer, said The new MPOX outbreak is putting the most vulnerable populations at grave risk, including many refugees and displaced communities who often live in overcrowded shelters with no access to safe water, soap and nutritious food.
“For refugee and displaced communities who already face enormous challenges in accessing health care, these conditions put them at greater risk of getting sick and make it harder to protect themselves,” he said.
Africa is home to more than a third of the world’s forcibly displaced people. Many live in countries struggling with mpox transmission and are in extremely vulnerable situations, exacerbated by protracted conflict, chronic shortages of humanitarian funding and multiple disasters.
© UNICEF/Jospin Benekire
A community worker raises awareness about mpox in Kamanyola, South Kivu Province, DR Congo.
Sustainable financing crucial
UNHCR warned that MPOX is putting further strain on already overstretched humanitarian resources, potentially disrupting essential services and assistance such as food distribution, education and protection activities.
“We must support governments and partners in the MPOX response to ensure that no one is left behind,” said Mr. Maina. “We need sustainable financing to strengthen health systems, water and sanitation, and other services so that they are resilient now and in the future.”
Stepping up measures
Since the global outbreaks of mpox in 2022, UNHCR has been working with national and local authorities, UN agencies and other partners.
To respond to the new, severe outbreak, teams have reinforced handwashing points in refugee camps and transit centres, and improved soap distribution and access to diagnostic tests.
In addition, they have strengthened disease surveillance, screening and reporting mechanisms, including across borders. They have also expanded training for community health workers and strengthened communication to ensure that people have accurate and accessible information about mpox, helping to combat misinformation and reduce the stigma associated with the disease.
Meeting urgent needs
UNHCR is calling on the international community to increase financial support to improve preparedness and response and reduce exposure to the disease for those most at risk.
While the agency has already prioritized a number of resources to quickly respond to the outbreak, it said the scale and complexity of the situation require additional funding to meet urgent needs.
Furthermore, funding is essential to ensure that refugees and other forcibly displaced people are fully integrated into national preparedness and response plans, in line with Mpox Continental Preparedness and Response Plan for Africa led by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and WHO.
