July 08,2024

WHO to Ship Additional Mpox Medication to South Africa Amid Ongoing Outbreak

In response to the mpox outbreak in South Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing to send medication to treat an additional 50 people locally. During a briefing on Wednesday, Dr. Joseph Wamala from the WHO disclosed that the current supply of Tecovirimat (TPOXX or ST-246) in the country is only sufficient to treat 15 individuals with a two-week dose.

These doses of Tecovirimat are being supplied under a Section 21 application to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) and are not yet registered in South Africa. Additionally, a vaccine used in other countries to prevent mpox is also not registered in South Africa.

Dr. Wamala stated that most mpox cases reported in Africa have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with 3,473 cases confirmed since the start of the year, resulting in 35 deaths. The DRC has the highest number of confirmed cases (65.3%) and deaths (25.6%) on the continent.

Since May 8, South Africa has recorded 16 mpox cases, with three deaths. All cases were in men aged between 23 and 43 years old. Of the South African mpox patients, 44% received Tecovirimat treatment, and 15 of the 16 cases were classified as severe according to the WHO definition.

Dr. Shanal Nair from the University of Pretoria noted that globally, mpox cases have been increasing in the Americas and Europe. Since the outbreak began in 2022, there have been more than 97,700 cases and 203 deaths worldwide, affecting at least 116 countries. The global trends indicate that more than 96% of cases are among men, with nearly 86% of cases with sexual data identifying as men who have sex with men. Sexual encounters are the most reported type of transmission.

In South Africa, half of the positive cases were identified as men who have sex with men, according to Dr. Nair. Common symptoms of mpox include a rash lasting two to four weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. The painful rash can appear as blisters or sores and affect the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and groin.

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