Minister Joly announces funding for mpox response

August 19, 2024 – Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, today announced additional funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) for mpox response in Africa.

Canada is currently supporting the WHO’s response to the current mpox outbreak in Africa through a $2 million contribution to its Contingency Fund for Emergencies. Today’s announcement builds on this support and will provide an additional $1 million contribution to the WHO specifically for urgent mpox response efforts on the African continent.

Funds will support the most pressing needs at this stage in the response, including improving systems to quickly detect and share information about mpox cases, increasing laboratory diagnostic capacity, speeding up research to better understand disease epidemiology, and community engagement to help control the outbreak. This contribution highlights Canada’s ongoing commitment to global health, and in particular African health security.

Minister Joly made this announcement while visiting the Direction de la Coordination du Programme élargi de vaccination (DCPEV) where she met with Pierre N’Gou Dimba, Minister of Health, Public Health and Universal Healthcare for Côte d’Ivoire

Canada’s investment to the WHO will reinforce broader health system strengthening, ensuring sustainability beyond the immediate outbreak. Canada is also exploring other avenues to support the global response in close collaboration with the WHO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and other partners.