The funds will be directed toward the WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies, the statement said, and will be in addition to the C$2 million already deployed in support of the entity’s response to the mpox outbreak.
“The Honorable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs … today announced additional funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) for mpox response in Africa,” GAC said in a statement. “Today’s announcement … will provide an additional $1 million contribution to the WHO specifically for urgent mpox response efforts on the African continent.”
The funds will notably support improving systems to quicken the pace of detection as well as information sharing about mpox cases, increasing laboratory diagnostic capacity, and speeding up research on the virus' epidemiology, the statement said. It will also enhance community engagement to help control the outbreak.
The World Health Organization (WHO) had previously declared the monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Mpox is a rare viral infection that can be especially dangerous for those with weakened immune systems. The disease typically manifests with fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that progresses from spots to blisters, eventually forming ulcers and scabs.