KEY POINTS
- Africa CDC calls on President-elect Trump to honor vaccine pledges made by President Biden.
- U.S. promised $500 million and 1 million doses to combat mpox in Africa.
- Africa CDC seeks to prevent mistrust between the U.S. and Africa over unmet healthcare commitments.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s administration to fulfill promises made by his predecessor regarding vaccine support for the continent.
Specifically, the health body is urging Trump to honor a commitment made by President Joe Biden’s administration, which pledged $500 million and 1 million doses of mpox vaccines to combat the ongoing outbreak in Africa.
Africa CDC seeks clarity on U.S. vaccine support
In September, President Biden’s administration pledged significant financial and vaccine support to Africa in response to the mpox outbreak, which continues to spread across several countries on the continent.
However, the progress in fulfilling these commitments into actual financial assistance and vaccines through contributions has been slow, the Africa CDC report revealed.
“We want to ensure that the incoming administration will continue with what was initially pledged,” Africa CDC Director Dr. John Kaseya said. He highlighted the need of these resources to prevent the outbreak of mpox in the continent which is now a public health issue.
Kaseya said while the CDC appreciates the uncertainty that accompanies change of leadership in the U.S, they are willing to talk to Trump’s team in order to ensure promises made by the Biden team are not left undone.
“We shall keep on interacting with the new America administration and brief them on fundamental aspects of the assistance that was pledged. Such failure Kaseya noted is likely to soil the relation between the U.S and Africa with potential future cooperation projects possibly being affected.
Trump’s recent stance on healthcare raises concerns
Trump’s recent statements on healthcare, particularly his support for anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have raised concerns about the future of U.S. support for global health initiatives.
Kennedy, who has been criticized for spreading misinformation about vaccines, reportedly received assurances from Trump that he would have significant influence over U.S. health agencies, including the FDA, CDC, and the HHS.
While Kaseya expressed a willingness to engage with the Trump administration, he remains concerned about the potential impact of this new direction on the global healthcare community.
“If Trump moves forward with his healthcare plan involving Robert F. Kennedy Jr., it will be important to ensure that it doesn’t undermine global health efforts,” Kaseya said.
According to Reuters, the Africa CDC director also emphasized that vaccines and funding are critical to addressing public health crises like the mpox outbreak.
Without timely support, African nations may struggle to control the disease, leading to prolonged outbreaks and greater strain on the continent’s healthcare systems.
Africa urges continued collaboration with U.S.
Nevertheless, Kaseya still looks for the positive future of continuing the sponsorship from America under Trump presidency. He volunteered to engage the American authorities to find out how Africa can chart the way forward on some of the health crises that the continent faces.
“I am ready to fly in and brief the new administration on health in Africa and how the situation can be addressed,” Kaseya said.
He urged once again that the health challenges in the African continent are pressing and that there is always the need to engage partners from other parts of the world especially in the light of the present mpox outbreak.
