The African Contagious Diseases Administration (CDC) has warned against vaccine hoarding in western countries given the spread of monkeypox cases in Europe and North America. Ahmed Ogwell, CDC deputy director, made an appeal in Addis Ababa on Thursday for lessons to be learned from the early days of the corona crisis. Currently, health authorities in African countries where the disease is endemic were short of vaccines.
Therefore, health workers “on the front lines” of disease control are said to be the most vaccinated, Ogwell reported. “We hope the vaccine will be available primarily where the risk is greatest — not where you can pay a lot for it.”
Disease endemic in countries
Monkeypox is endemic to Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria. So far, 1,405 cases have been confirmed in these countries since the beginning of the year and 62 people have died. However, Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) assumes that the death rate is lower because milder courses often go unrecorded. Suspected cases of possible monkey pox are currently under investigation in Morocco and Sudan, Ogwell said.
African Union member states are being urged to step up their controls on those entering the country and to monitor possible signs of illness. As with the prevention of Covid-19, it is important to wash and disinfect your hands regularly.
Experts want to share knowledge
“We are in close contact with our partner agencies in Europe and the US,” said Ogwell. The African health experts know how to deal with monkey pox and are willing to share their knowledge.
Source: Krone
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