MPOX is “not the new COVID” and European governments must show strong political commitment to eliminate it, while showing solidarity with Africa, said Tuesday the regional director for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO).
In a video press conference from Copenhagen, Dr. Hans Kluge insisted that The risk that MPOX poses to the general population is low.
Kluge rejected comparisons between the fast-spreading viral disease – declared a public health emergency of international concern last week by the WHO – and the COVID-19 pandemic, “regardless of whether it is mpox clade 1, behind the ongoing outbreak in central and eastern Africa, or mpox clade 2, behind the 2022 outbreak that initially affected Europe and has continued to circulate in Europe since then.”
In Europe “we know how to control mpox” and the steps necessary to eliminate its transmission completely,” he said.
Current scientific knowledge about the virus indicates that It is transmitted primarily through skin-to-skin contact with mpox lesions.even during sexual intercourse.
There will be no lockdowns
Asked whether Europe would impose lockdowns similar to those for COVID-19, the expert replied with a resounding “no.”
Kluge recalled that the European mpox outbreak of 2022 It was controlled thanks to direct engagement with the most affected communities of men who have sex with men.
He highlighted “the change in behavior, the Non-discriminatory public health action and vaccination against mpox“as success factors in Europe in 2022. However, the region “failed to take the final step” to end the disease and is currently seeing about a hundred new cases of mpox clade 2 each month, he added.
Last week, Sweden became the first country outside Africa to record a case of the clade 1 variant of the mpox virus, which is at the centre of the latest outbreak, which has spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring countries. The Swedish case was recorded in a person who had travelled to an affected area in Africa.
Clade 1, more severe than clade 2
The current alert status due to clade 1, which is considered more seriousgives European health authorities the opportunity to also strengthen the focus on clade 2 and eliminate it “once and for all,” Kluge stressed.
The WHO representative called for European solidarity with Africain particular with regard to the equitable access to vaccines.
WHO recommends the use of MVA-BN or LC16 vaccines, or ACAM2000 immunization when the first two are not available. These Vaccines were originally developed against smallpoxa disease that has already been eradicated.
WHO spokesman Tarik Jašarević said that the producer of MVA-BN, Bavarian Nordic“has capacity to manufacture ten million doses by the end of 2025 and can already supply up to two million this year.”
As for LC16, a vaccine produced on behalf of the Japanese government, he stressed that there is a “considerable” stockpile.
“Japan has been very generous in the past with donations” and is currently in negotiations with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, he said.
So far this year, the The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported more than 15,600 cases of mpox and about 540 deaths.
European generosity put to the test
Last week, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus launched an “emergency use listing” process for mpox vaccines, designed to speed up access for low-income countries that have not yet issued their own regulatory approval.
The measure also allows UN health agency partners such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)acquire immunizations for distribution.
Kluge optimistically mentioned that The European Union is donating vaccines, but clarified that this generosity will be put to the test if Europeans are needed to contribute more. inoculations.
Vaccines, one of the tools
WHO spokesperson Jašarević stressed that while vaccines are essential, they are only one of the tools that should be used, along with contact tracing, strong surveillance, public health measures and appropriate clinical care for those who need it.
In this regard, he said that a positive legacy of the response to COVID-19 was the improvement of laboratory capacity around the world, which allowed for better detection of various viruses.
Kluge, for his part, reiterated that based on what has been learned from the recent pandemic, Global coordination will be key to defeating mpox.
“We can and must tackle mpox together, across all regions and continents“, he reiterated.
“Will we choose to implement systems to control and eliminate mpox globally? Or will we enter another cycle of panic and then neglect?” How we respond now and in the years to come will be a critical test for Europe and the world.“, concluded the WHO regional director for Europe.
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