WHO appeals for more funding to fight mpox in Uganda
What you need to know:
- Mpox is an illness caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a viral infection that can spread between people, mainly through close contact. Common symptoms of mpox include a rash, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen glands (lymph nodes).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Monday it is facing a critical funding gap of $11.1 million to scale up the mpox response in Uganda, where over 1,000 confirmed cases and six deaths have been registered.
Out of the $12.9 million of the total budget required to support the mpox outbreak response in the country, only $1.8 million has been secured, said WHO in an intervention report issued in Kampala, Uganda.
More funds are needed to bridge the funding gap given the high utilisation rate of available funds and needs on the ground, the WHO noted, calling on all partners to "urgently support the Government of Uganda through increasing their financial contributions towards the mpox response."
In August, the WHO declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, highlighting its potential for further global transmission.
The Ugandan Ministry of Health, with support from WHO and other partners, has intensified preventive measures, including enhanced surveillance, case management, risk communication and community engagement, and public awareness campaigns to curb the spread of the virus, according to health authorities.
Mpox is an illness caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a viral infection that can spread between people, mainly through close contact. Common symptoms of mpox include a rash, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen glands (lymph nodes).
