How the Maghreb is handling Mpox

Suddenly a new health emergency is upon us. Or more accurately, a health emergency has been developing in full view of those with a responsibility to do something about it. But since it was largely taking place in the forests and crowded cities of the war-torn, often over-looked, Democratic Republic of Congo, not enough has been done about it.  ‘Mpox’, formerly known as Monkey-Pox is another virus that has made the jump from animals to humans.  Mpox symptoms are similar to chickenpox, with fevers, diarrhea, swollen lymph nodes and, most notably, skin lesions. Sometimes the condition can lead to death.

Since 2022, over 40,000 cases and 1512 deaths have been reported from some 15 AU Member States In 2024 alone, there have been 17 541 cases and 517 deaths have been reported from 13 AU member states.

There have been no new cases in Morocco for several months. Yet plans are now under way to ensure Moroccan healthcare workers are aware of the key signs to look out for and have rapid tests available, health minister Khaled Ait Taleb said following a recent meeting with the ministry’s scientific committee. Morocco is taking the precautionary measures required since the disease can spread quite quickly, especially amongst vulnerable groups of people. And some believe that the movement of growing numbers of often desperate people from Sub-Saharan Africa carries its own risks. Following the meeting of the Scientific Committee, the Minister was quoted, saying; ‘This is part of the proactive measures and ongoing efforts undertaken by the Kingdom to monitor and assess the epidemiological situation.’

The World Health Organisation, which was criticised for what was alleged to have been a slow reaction to the spread of Avian Flu in the past, has been flagging the new threats posed by the emergence of a new type of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), known as ‘Clade 1b’, which is a more deadlier variant and has a mortality rate of 3.6% in comparison with the 0.2% of the earlier variant.  It is already highly mobile and was identified in a patient in Thailand on the 22^nd August, making this the first case in the country and the second case outside of Africa.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is however warning against health measures driven by panic.  Dr. Jean Kaseya the Director of the  CDC and himself from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, told media  earlier this week; ‘Don’t punish Africa, We hear from here and there that you want to apply travel bans … we need solidarity, we need you to provide appropriate support, this vaccine is expensive.’

He was supported in his call by WHO’s regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, during a UN media briefing. “Mpox is not the new COVID. “We know how to control Mpox. And, in the European region, the steps needed to eliminate its transmission altogether.

Kluge’s statement may be reassuring for Europeans and clearly his intention is to rally the Europeans to become much more proactive and help make the expensive vaccines available. But the question remains; why, time and time again, does a health crisis become largely ignored or down-played so long as it is confined to remote areas of Sub Saharan Africa?

*Mark Seddon is a former Speechwriter to UN Secretary-General Ban ki moon & former Adviser to the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly