The US Global Aids Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, Ambassador John Nkengasong, has emphasized the need for a coordinated global response to address the Mpox outbreak.
During a press briefing, Nkengasong called for an integrated approach that includes testing, genetic sequencing, laboratory training, surveillance, and infection control to effectively manage the virus.
Nkengasong highlighted the importance of a comprehensive strategy that combines various public health measures with vaccine deployment.
“We need an integrated approach that includes vaccines, but also surveillance, laboratory infection control, and community engagement. These are key tools to contain this virus,” he said. He stressed that cooperation between international health agencies like the WHO, the Africa CDC, and local governments is essential to curb the outbreak.
A crucial part of the strategy, according to Nkengasong, is infection control and prevention, particularly among high-risk communities. He emphasized that community engagement and ongoing research are critical to halting the spread of Mpox, which can affect both people and animals.
“The tools we are deploying in the field of response, including partnerships with the DRC government and other affected countries, will ultimately lead to our ability to contain this virus,” Nkengasong added.
The ambassador also pointed to the long-standing partnerships the US has fostered with countries affected by pox-related diseases. Over the past 20 years, the US has collaborated with these countries to fight infectious diseases like HIV, TB, Ebola, and malaria. This existing foundation, Nkengasong noted, is proving invaluable in the response to the Clade 1 Mpox outbreak.
Despite the seriousness of the outbreak, Nkengasong cautioned against panic. “We have the public health tools available to work together in a coordinated way and bring this outbreak to a close. It’s an outbreak, not yet a pandemic, and we are tracking it. We have the appropriate tools in the theater of response in DRC and other countries where the virus is circulating.”
As part of the US effort to combat the outbreak, 50,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine were delivered to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last week. Nkengasong noted that this vaccine, prequalified by the WHO, is a positive step toward controlling the spread of the virus. In addition to the vaccines, the US is also providing financial support for the rollout, and more than 250,000 doses have been delivered to the DRC in the past two weeks.
Nkengasong explained that the vaccination campaign will follow a targeted “ring vaccination” approach. “In public health, ring vaccination is where you identify where the patient is through good surveillance and lab testing, and then you can zone that area and vaccinate. This is the most effective use of the vaccine.”
The ambassador warned that the Mpox outbreak is another reminder that infectious disease threats in any part of the world pose a global risk. He reaffirmed that the US State Department, in coordination with the WHO, Africa CDC, and other global partners, is working to ensure a united response.
In 2023 alone, the United States allocated over $2.65 billion in bilateral health funding to countries in Central and East Africa, making it the largest donor in the region.