As Mpox continues to devastate countries, especially in Africa, the WHO Africa Region says African countries are capable of diagnosing Mpox, thereby making for early detection.

Dr Abdou Gueye, Regional Emergency Director, World Health Organisation Africa Region (WHO AFRO), made the assertion in a virtual interview in Lagos.

Providing updates on WHO’s field efforts since the declaration of the mpox outbreak, Gueye said that WHO had been working effectively and collaborating with all entities to stem the public health emergency.

The Africa CDC declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security on Aug. 13.

On its heels, on Aug. 14, the WHO Director-General declared the resurgence of mpox to be a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), requiring a coordinated international response.

This was necessitated by the advice given by the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR or Regulations) Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024, during its first meeting held on Aug. 14.

It had noted that the ongoing upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a growing number of countries in Africa, constituted a PHEIC under the provisions of the International Health Regulations.

Also, given the detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, its detection in neighbouring countries that had not previously reported mpox, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond.

Gueye emphasised the importance of early detection, robust health systems, and community engagement.

He said that some of WHO’s efforts included supporting diagnostic capabilities, treatment guidelines, and community engagement across African countries.

“All the African countries are capable of diagnosing mpox. Thanks to our work and collaboration with all the entities.

“We checked with all our countries. 45 countries out of the 47 were able to do the diagnostic and the genomic sequencing, and we were able to support the two additional countries.

“We also worked with the countries to develop guidelines on the treatment and the care about mpox, and also, we provided some reagents.

“ The treatment of mpox is very rare, but as soon as it is possible, we try to make it available to the African country

“In the framework of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern, we have raised the advocacy for all partners that are capable of donating or contributing to supporting countries, and are put in touch with countries that need it,’’ he added.

According to Gueye, WHO is also working to make sure that all manufacturers that can produce vaccine, diagnostic and therapeutic are being put in touch with those who can fund it.

This will enable enough production for Africa, particularly also for low and middle-income countries.

He said close collaboration was also ongoing with researchers, all to stop Mpox.

“We are working in close collaboration with researchers to make sure that all the vaccines, therapeutic and diagnostic that are in the pipeline will be accelerated.

“This is in order to diversify the possibility and the tools to fight against the disease,” he said

Giving an insight into the current outbreak, he explains Mpox to be a viral disease, previously known as monkeypox.

According to him, it traditionally existed in West and Central Africa, with two viruses that are slightly different.

“The one in West Africa was called the clade two, and the one in Central Africa was called the clade one in 2022.

“An outbreak occurred, and the virus went beyond the traditional border and went through to some countries where it was never seen before.

“It affected some particular communities, mainly men who have sex with men.

“And the outbreak was addressed by the international community, but also by the affected community, and it was controlled.

“What happened in 2024 is there is a new outbreak with a new strain that is different to the one that existed before, that usually was seen in DR Congo, but has a little mutation.

“That made it more contagious, but also more serious, because the mortality rate increased.’’

He said that the outbreak was localised initially in North Kivu and South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, spreading in Congo first but also in neighbouring countries, including Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya.

According to him, when the outbreak reached that level, the WHO D-G called for an emergency committee to advise him, and the emergency committee advised to raise the highest alert possible in public health.

“We say the public health emergency of international concern, which means to make sure that the international community will be mobilised.

“Also, the mobilisation will be coordinated in order to stop the outbreak before it becomes more difficult to control.’’

Report says that the multi-country outbreak of Mpox has led to 116 countries and territories in all WHO regions reporting 99,176 confirmed cases and 208 deaths between May 2022 and June 2024.

The latest global mpox rapid risk assessment at the beginning of August 2024, showed that mpox risk in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring countries is high.

In Nigeria and other countries of West, Central and East Africa where mpox is endemic, it is moderate.

However, individual-level risk is largely dependent on individual factors such as exposure risk and immune status, regardless of geographic area, epidemiological context, biological sex, gender identity or sexual orientation. (NAN)

The Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) and the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on health insurance for its pensioners.

Speaking at the signing of the MoU on Monday in Kaduna, the Director-General (DG) of KADCHMA, Abubakar Hassan, said the benefits of the scheme for the pensioners were immense.

He explained that with the health insurance, pensioners would have access to health care services from any public or private health facility across the state without having to spend from their pockets.

With this, Hassan said, pensioners could receive the care they needed without worrying about the financial burden that often comes with accessing healthcare
services.

He disclosed that the annual premium for the health insurance scheme was N10,600, thereby making it affordable for the pensioners.

“This will facilitate access to quality healthcare to our pensioners, in line with the promises of governor Uba Sani’s administration to provide access to quality care through a state contributory health insurance scheme.

“As the State Health Insurance Manager, our objectives are clear. We aim to enroll more residents into the scheme to make healthcare more affordable and secure a
sustainable funding basis for our health facilities.

“We also seek to extend health insurance cover to poor and vulnerable citizens through the basic health care
provision fund, as well as enroll persons employed in the informal sector into the contributory health insurance scheme.

“Our ultimate goal is to build consensus
across the state for adopting contributory health insurance as the most affordable way to access healthcare in public facilities,”Hassan said.

He thanked the State’s Pension Bureau and the state chapter of NUP for embracing the scheme.

He urged other organisations, associations and bodies to follow suit and enroll their members in the social insurance scheme.

Also, the Chairman of NUP, Kaduna Chapter, Mr Aboman Ladan, said the MoU signing marked a significant milestone in their efforts towards ensuring that their members have access to quality healthcare without financial burdens.

“We believe that our pensioners deserve the best, and this scheme will go a long way in improving their overall well-being,”he said.

Ladan commended KADCHMA for their commitment to making healthcare affordable and accessible to all, while urging their members to take advantage of the scheme and enroll in the health insurance program.

Doing so, he said, the pensioners would live healthy and fulfilling lives, free from the worry of medical expenses.

Also, the National representative of the NUP, Ahmed Garzali, described pensioners as the most vulnerable, who were affected most by fuel subsidy removal.

He said the health insurance for their members in the state is a step toward addressing their out-of-pocket spending on health, while calling for sincerity of purpose and full implementation of the MoU.

Earlier, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, said the collaboration between KADCHMA and the NUP marked a monumental step in the state government’s collective efforts towards ensuring the health and well-being of its pensioners.

Ahmed added that Sani’s leadership was instrumental in advancing healthcare initiatives that prioritise the well-being of every citizen, particularly senior citizens who have served the state with distinction.

She also said that Kaduna State Government recognised that the health of every citizen was a priority, which extended especially to its pensioners who have dedicated their lives to serving the state and nation.

By enrolling pensioners into the State Contributory Health Scheme, the commissioner said, they were taking proactive steps to safeguard the pensioners health and enhance their quality of life in retirement.

According to her, the contributory health scheme plays a critical role in reducing the financial burden of medical expenses, particularly for those in their later years who are often more vulnerable to health challenges.

“The Kaduna State Health Insurance Scheme is designed to provide comprehensive and affordable healthcare coverage, ensuring that no one, regardless of age or economic status, is left behind.

“The partnership between KADCHMA and the NUP is a strategic initiative that aligns with our vision of universal health coverage for all residents of Kaduna State.

“This MoU is more than just a document; it is a covenant that reaffirms our shared commitment to upholding the dignity and well-being of our pensioners.

”It symbolises our dedication to creating a health system that is inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of every citizen,” she said.

She assured the pensioners that the government would implement the agreement effectively, while ensuring that the enrollment process is seamless, transparent, and accessible to all eligible pensioners.

“By doing so, we will not only fulfill our promise of providing quality healthcare but also demonstrate our commitment to the values of empathy, respect, and service,”Ahmed said.(NAN)

The Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, says more than 18,000 suspected cases of Mpox have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) this year, with 629 deaths.Ghebreyesus disclosed this on Friday during an online news conference.He said that the cases included more than 5000 cases and 31 deaths from the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, where the new clade 1b strain had been spreading.

“The number of reported cases of clade 1b has been rising rapidly for several weeks. “Fortunately, relatively few deaths have been reported in recent weeks.’’According to him, in addition, 258 cases of clade 1b have been confirmed in Burundi, four in Rwanda, four in Uganda, one in Kenya and one each in Sweden and Thailand.“We also remain concerned about outbreaks of clade 1a in other parts of DRC.“This morning, I returned from DRC, where yesterday I had the honour to meet with His Excellency President Félix Tshisekedi to discuss the outbreaks.“I thanked the president for his leadership in the response to the outbreaks, demonstrated by the government’s commitment of 10 dollars to the response.I assured him of WHO’s full support, together with the Africa CDC and other partners.’’Ghebreyesus said he also had the opportunity to meet with the UN Country Team, where they discussed coordination of the Mpox response among UN agencies, under the government’s leadership.He that they discussed the critical importance of clear communication with people at risk of Mpox and strong engagement with communities and local partners.“I also met with global and local health partners to discuss scaling up routine immunisation for other diseases, including polio, measles and malaria, and mobilising frontline polio workers to support the Mpox response.“WHO is working to accelerate access to and delivery of vaccines.“The manufacturers of the two vaccines submitted their applications for emergency use listing last Friday and we are working to review those applications as fast as possible.“The safety and efficacy of vaccines are our highest priority. We will not take short cuts.’’According to him, the two main buyers of vaccines for low-income countries, Gavi and UNICEF, require WHO emergency use listing to buy vaccines for use in countries that have not issued their own national regulatory approval.“Last week, I gave Gavi and UNICEF the green light to proceed with procuring vaccines, in parallel with the EUL process.“However, WHO emergency use listing is not a barrier to vaccines being deployed in DRC.’’The director-general said that DRC’s medicines regulator approved both vaccines in June and the government had requested bilateral donations of vaccines from high-income countries with large stockpiles.He said that together with the Africa CDC, WHO had also helped to secure donations from the European Union and some of its Member States.“WHO is working with the Africa CDC, GAVI, UNICEF, CEPI and HERA to set up a coordination mechanism to allocate the donated vaccines and increase access in affected countries.“On Thursday, we also invited manufacturers of Mpox diagnostics to submit an expression of interest for emergency use listing.’’The WHO boss said that on Friday, the first expression of interest was received.“Over the past two days, we have also convened a meeting of researchers to identify research priorities and to foster a coordinated and collaborative approach to the development of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.“It is vital to stress that although vaccines are a powerful tool, they are far from the only tool.“There are many things that WHO and our partners are doing to prevent and diagnose infections and treat the sick.’’According to him, the outbreak of clade 1b Mpox is occurring in one of the poorest and most insecure regions of DRC, complicating the response.“Despite these challenges, hundreds of WHO personnel are on the ground in DRC and the other affected countries, working with our partners to stop transmission and bring these outbreaks under control.“With the government’s leadership and close cooperation between partners, we believe we can stop these outbreaks in the next six months.“But what this region of DRC needs more than anything else is a political solution to the long-running insecurity,” Ghebreyesus said.(NAN)