The headlines have been dire; vaccines delayed in red tape, a rapidly spreading virus, and a lack of global funding to respond properly to a medical emergency.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is back in the news for all the wrong reasons. The viral disease that first emerged in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo is resurging across Central and East Africa. It’s caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox but generally causes milder symptoms, including fever, chills, body aches, and, in more severe cases, rashes or lesions.

An Alarming Surge

For decades, MPOX outbreaks were mostly confined to Central and West Africa, typically linked to close contact with infected animals. However, in 2022, the virus gained international attention when it spread to over 70 countries, primarily through close person-to-person contact, including sexual contact.

The recent surge of MPOX cases in 2024 has been particularly alarming in Africa, where the virus has evolved into a more virulent form. According to Kevin Cain, a member of Palladium’s Global Health Security team, this form of the virus has mutated to spread more easily. “In addition, since the smallpox vaccination was essentially phased out through the 1970s, most people don’t have immunity, making it even easier for the virus to spread.”

This variant has been responsible for a dramatic increase in cases and deaths, particularly in the Congo Basin. Countries like Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda have reported their first-ever cases of Mpox, with outbreaks continuing to expand despite efforts to contain the virus. The spread has been exacerbated by factors like crowded living conditions in refugee camps and a lack of adequate healthcare infrastructure, which have made it difficult to manage the outbreaks effectively.

Where Community Workers Make a Difference

Addressing the current outbreak is presenting some significant challenges that have the global health community concerned.

Despite the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa CDC declaring it a public health emergency, there has been a lack of sufficient vaccines and treatments in many affected regions. International aid has been slow to arrive, and existing control strategies have struggled to keep pace with the evolving virus. The WHO continues to call for greater global cooperation and resource allocation to prevent the further spread of Mpox and protect vulnerable populations.

But Cain adds that there have been positive developments. Just last month the U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), donated 10,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine to the Government of Nigeria. This was in addition to 50,000 vaccines donated earlier in September to the Democratic Republic of Congo and the USAID’s announcement of the US$35 million in emergency health assistance to bolster response efforts in Central and Eastern Africa.

“But vaccines are only one component; communities are going to be extraordinarily important,” he explains. Community health workers, which in many developing countries serve as frontline public health workers play a vital role in linking their local communities with healthcare systems.

“Organisations like WHO, USAID, or donor governments can help to support increased training for community health workers to help disseminate messaging about how the virus is spread and at the same time, they can help with tracking new cases within their communities.”

The Role of Data

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of prevention and disease control is data. “Health data is critical in the midst of an outbreak like this one,” explains Cain. “It gives governments the ability to pinpoint exactly where the biggest problems are, where they need to focus attention and supplies, and whether the work they’re doing is adequate to stop further spread.”

It’s not that simple though. In order for data to be as useful as possible, Cain says that it must come from nearly all parts of a country and in nearly real time. “Good data allows us to detect problems like this very early before they become bigger problems, it allows us to direct resources to the places with greatest need, and it allows us to monitor progress to see if what we are doing is working, and to know when the outbreak is improving.”

He adds that it wouldn’t be the first time data has made a difference in the face of a virus outbreak. “A dengue outbreak in Honduras earlier this year was identified through regional situation room data and that data went on to help authorities in the Ministry of Health understand the scope and scale of the outbreak and in turn respond more effectively.”

He explains that strong national data-use strategies bolstered by regional data situation rooms are proving to be crucial tools in identifying outbreaks and could be used successfully in Africa in tracking Mpox, too.

Ultimately, Mpox is another example of the threat that infectious diseases pose. Diseases cross borders, says Cain, and preventing disease in one place requires good disease detection and control in other places, because once a disease gets established as an epidemic, it is much harder to quickly stop.

“What we’re seeing across Africa right now reinforces the importance of a global approach, often referred to as global health security.”

“It allows for the detection, reporting, and response to diseases anywhere, very early, before the situation turns into an even bigger outbreak.”

For more information, contact info@thepalladiumgroup.com.