Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya, called on Friday in Rabat for all efforts across the continent to focus on combating the monkeypox (Mpox) epidemic.
“We are currently examining all possible means of stopping this epidemic,” Kaseya told the press after talks with Minister of Health and Social Protection, Khalid Ait Taleb.
“My energy today is focused on the fight against this epidemic,” said the Africa CDC DG, whose talks with Ait Taleb tackled in particular the postponement of the 4th edition of the International Conference on Public Health in Africa, originally scheduled for next November in Morocco, due to the current epidemiological situation on the continent.
“As the epidemic is developing in a rather dangerous way, and given that this epidemic requires us to focus all our energy on it, I have officially asked the Moroccan government (...) to postpone the organization of the conference,” said Kaseya.
Africa CDC head also praised the Kingdom of Morocco's “solidarity” with the rest of the African countries in the fight against the Mpox epidemic.
“Morocco is, first and foremost, an African country (...) that is fully committed to solidarity. It is also a country of innovation, contributing to all efforts to equip the countries of the continent with the means to stop this epidemic,” he stressed.
Kaseya highlighted the importance of “local manufacturing” of vaccines and medicines to combat epidemics and health crises on the African continent, calling this a “priority”.
