The World Health Organization has recommended that countries that have recorded cases of a new strain of monkeypox that recently appeared in the African continent launch vaccination plans in areas where the disease has been detected.
As monkeypox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo surge, driven by the 1B strain that has also been reported in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, the WHO declared the disease a “public health emergency of international concern” on August 14, the highest level of alert the organization can issue.
The organization declared a public health emergency in 2022 when the pandemic spread through the “2B” strain around the world.
The highest alert level was raised in May 2023, but WHO recommended that all countries prepare national control plans or maintain surveillance capacities.
The World Health Organization said these recommendations are still in effect, but on Monday it added recommendations targeting “countries experiencing an outbreak of the epidemic, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.”
It also issued recommendations, including launching plans to promote smallpox vaccination activities (…) in areas where cases have been detected, and targeting individuals at high risk of infection (those who come into contact with patients or have sexual contact with them, as well as children and health care workers).
Promote cooperation without restrictions
Regarding international transport, WHO recommended “establishing or strengthening cross-border cooperation agreements on the surveillance and treatment of suspected monkeypox cases, and the transfer of information to travelers and transport companies.”
She pointed out the need to implement this “without resorting to general restrictions on travel and commercial activities that would unnecessarily affect local, regional or national economies.”
The WHO also called on affected countries to establish or strengthen mechanisms to coordinate emergency response at national and local levels, enhance disease surveillance and monitoring, differentiate between strains and report infections to the organization “in a timely and weekly manner.”
She also urged improved research, combating stigma associated with the disease, and improving the skills of health workers in combating monkeypox, while providing them with personal protective equipment.
In this context, the Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Samuel-Roger Kamba, expressed his hope to receive the first doses of vaccines against the smallpox epidemic next week.
The disease has killed at least 570 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A response unit official, who preferred to remain anonymous, said his country, which has a population of about 100 million, “intends to vaccinate 4 million people, including 3.5 million children.”
On the other hand, the African Union Health Agency announced on Saturday that a total of 18,737 possible or confirmed cases of monkeypox have been recorded since the beginning of the year on the continent.