The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Civil Society Organizations have called for urgent action to avert a potential Mpox outbreak.
The warning comes amid a severe crisis in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the clade 1b variant of Mpox has infected over 19,000 people and claimed nearly 1,000 lives. The risk to Uganda is heightened due to the heavy cross-border traffic with the DRC.
Efforts by international organizations like UNICEF, Gavi, the Africa CDC, and the World Health Organization (WHO) to secure 12 million vaccine doses for affected African nations are facing significant obstacles. Logistical challenges, regulatory delays, and the high cost of vaccines such as Jynneos, priced at $100 per dose, are also hindering the rollout.
Henry Magala, the Country Director of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), sounded the alarm, urging immediate action to address Uganda’s vulnerability.
“Uganda’s exposure is stark. We must fix vaccine access and distribution now to avert disaster,” he said, adding that civil society groups are advocating for global cooperation to expedite vaccine availability, streamline approvals, and improve local infrastructure, warning that without prompt action, Uganda may see an uncontrollable outbreak similar to the one in the DRC.
Mpox cases have been confirmed in 18 African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.
According to Magala, the situation echoes the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, as wealthy nations prioritize their populations while African countries struggle to access critical vaccines.
“The Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized the need for a swift and equitable response, warning that failure to act could result in Mpox spreading unchecked from the DRC into Uganda,” Magala said.
Magala and other health experts want immediate action to streamline vaccine approvals, improve supply chains, and boost real-time data sharing to prevent the outbreak from escalating. “Let’s not sleepwalk into another international crisis,” Magala said, stressing the urgency for global leaders to step up efforts to tackle the Mpox crisis before it spirals out of control.
Civil society organizations and health advocates are urging international collaboration to prevent the situation from becoming a global catastrophe, demanding immediate and decisive action to ensure equitable vaccine access across Africa.
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