Following the declaration of the Mpox outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security by the
African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization on August 13 and 14, 2024, the Director General of the West African Health Organization, Dr. Melchior Athanase Joël C. AÏSSI, organized a virtual emergency meeting on August 22, 2024, with the Health Ministers of ECOWAS member states.
This high-level meeting aimed to discuss the regional epidemiological situation, review ongoing interventions in ECOWAS Member States to combat Mpox, and provide recommendations at the regional level.
As of August 22, three countries have active cases. Nigeria with 39 reported cases without deaths, Côte d'Ivoire with 28 cases including one death, and Liberia with 6 cases, totaling 72 cases. This situation highlights the urgency of strengthening active surveillance of Mpox cases and deepening knowledge about the modes of transmission and presentations of the disease in the West African context.
In addition, the Health Ministers of ECOWAS countries, after providing updates on the epidemiological situation in their respective countries and sharing their ongoing experiences in combating the disease, recommended public health measures to strengthen WAHO's regional preparedness and response plan, including:
- Strengthening information and awareness among the populations of the ECOWAS region about Mpox.
- Enhancing community-based surveillance through active case detection.
- Taking swift actions to improve the availability of vaccines and other health products (reagents, treatment drugs, and protective equipment) necessary to manage the outbreak in ECOWAS member states.
- Sharing experiences in prevention and case management among ECOWAS member states, coordinated by WAHO.
- Urgent provision of laboratory reagents to assist in diagnosis.
- Establishing a network of clinicians to engage in appropriate discussions and share information and best practices in case prevention and management.
- Strengthening the laboratory network within the ECOWAS region.
The meeting also emphasized the importance of collaboration and the sharing of experiences and best practices among ECOWAS member countries to contain the spread of the Mpox outbreak and protect the health of the region's populations. It urged technical and financial partners to support the West African Health Organization and ECOWAS Member States in strengthening capacities and implementing effective interventions to quickly contain the evolving outbreak.
Finally, the Director General of WAHO announced financial assistance of 100,000 US dollars to all Member States to enable first-hour interventions and strengthen preparedness and response capacities to the Mpox outbreak in the countries.