USAID Allocates Additional $35Million to Fight Mpox Outbreak in Africa
Today, the United States, via USAID, has announced an additional allocation of up to $35 million in emergency health assistance aimed at enhancing response efforts to the clade I mpox outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa, subject to Congressional Notification. This new funding commitment raises the total U.S. government support for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other affected nations in the region to over $55 million in response to this outbreak.
The newly announced assistance will empower USAID to maintain close collaboration with the affected nations, as well as regional and global health partners, to broaden support and mitigate the effects of this evolving outbreak. USAID’s support encompasses various areas, including surveillance, diagnostics, risk communication and community engagement, infection prevention and control, case management, and the planning and coordination of mpox vaccination efforts.
Since 2023, the DRC has been facing an unprecedented outbreak of clade I mpox. This mpox outbreak has spread beyond the DRC, with several other countries in the region reporting cases in 2024, including nations where mpox has not been historically documented. In light of heightened concerns regarding the potential for further international transmission and its implications for regional and global health security, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recently declared Mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), while the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has issued its inaugural declaration of a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security.
The support provided by the United States, through USAID, includes the donation of 50,000 doses of Jynneos vaccines to the DRC, the nation most severely affected by the outbreak, along with resources to facilitate vaccine readiness and distribution.
The United States remains dedicated to a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to address this escalating outbreak, and we urge other donors to join us in these vital efforts.
