ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia
Africa's main public health body said it is seeking assurances that US President-elect Donald Trump's administration will provide the funding and mpox vaccines promised by his predecessor.
In September, US President Joe
Biden pledged $500 million and 1 million vaccine doses to an mpox response plan
led by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which is battling
an mpox outbreak on the continent.
While mpox cases continue to
spread on the African continent, donors have been slow to translate their
promises into money and vaccines needed to accelerate the response, according
to Africa CDC.
Asked if Trump's recent
electoral victory could impact US support for African healthcare, Africa CDC
Director John Kaseya said he would push the new administration to honour
existing promises.
"As we start to discuss
with some of the officials ... we'll continue to talk to them and to engage
them to fulfil their commitment," Kaseya told reporters.
"If they don't do that,
the mistrust that we have today in Africa will lead to a major issue between
the US and the continent."
Trump recently said he would
let anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. make decisions on US healthcare
policy.
The activist who has been
criticized for making false medical claims, including that vaccines are linked
to autism, said that Trump had promised him control over the FDA, CDC, HHS, and
the USDA.
"I'm available to fly and
to meet and discuss with them about what Africa needs in the health area and
how we can work together," Kaseya said.
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