Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged Africa to apply lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic in addressing the Mpox outbreak.
Speaking at the African Union Heads of State virtual meeting, Ramaphosa emphasised the need for equitable vaccine distribution, supported by the Africa CDC, and called for the development of an evidence-based finance plan.
“We need a finance plan that is evidence-based, with sound forecasting of needs. The Africa CDC mandate on data sharing is the bedrock of global health security. This will help to ensure that public health threats are detected and shared across borders and with other continental and global stakeholders,” he said.
The president also highlighted the importance of manufacturing Mpox vaccines locally to improve access and reduce costs.
“We call on all African countries to make use of this instrumental system that has been created by our own institution. We call for the urgent operationalisation of the Africa Epidemic Fund as the primary vehicle for epidemic response financial management,” Ramaphosa said.
He welcomed the agreement to transfer Mpox vaccine technology to African manufacturers and stressed the need for enhanced surveillance and healthcare infrastructure.
“In the meantime, we appreciate the support from a number of countries to get vaccines in Africa.
“The COVID-19 experience taught us that we need predictable demand and off-take guarantees for the vaccines, medicines and diagnostics manufactured in Africa. African countries should therefore buy vaccines and other health products manufactured in Africa to ensure sustainable manufacturing on our continent.”
The president noted that Africa CDC will lead the distribution of over 215,000 vaccine doses provided through a partnership with the European Commission and Bavarian Nordic.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
