Written question asked by Marquess of Lothian (Conservative) on Thursday, 12 September 2024, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 26 September 2024. It was answered by Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour) on Wednesday, 25 September 2024 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Africa: Mpox

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the declaration by the WHO Director General on 14 August of Mpox cases in Africa to be a public health emergency of international concern; and what support they are providing to African countries most affected by the current outbreak.

Answer: We are deeply concerned by the mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other African countries. In August I visited the DRC and announced £3.1 million to UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) for the mpox and cholera response. This will reach 4.4 million people. We have contributed £3 million to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Regional Office for Africa for health emergency response. The UK's £340 million core voluntary contribution to the WHO supports it to allocate resources where they are needed most, including responding to health emergencies such as mpox. We are one of the largest donors to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has unlocked $2.9 million to support the rollout of vaccines in the DRC.

Secondary information