US gives Uganda over Shs15b for Mpox response
US Ambassador to Uganda William Popp. PHOTO/ FILE
What you need to know:
- Annually, the US offers nearly $1 billion (about Shs3.7 trillion) in assistance to Uganda.
The United States on Tuesday announced a $4.1 million (over Shs15 billion) funding and 5, 500 mpox tests to support Uganda’s response to the viral infection as confirmed cases approach 100 in the country.
The US mission in Kampala added that Washington, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing $1.4 million to the World Health Organization (WHO), $600,000 to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and $400,000 to USAID Uganda Health Activity implemented by the University Research Collaborative (URC), to support Uganda’s mpox preparedness and response plan.
Cases in Uganda’s first outbreak of the variant seen in the new mpox, known as clade Ib, have rapidly grown from 11 in early September to more than 80 as of October 14, according to the Ministry of Health.
“The US is also providing $1.7 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to support mpox screening and response in border crossings, refugee settlements, and host communities,” the Mission said.
“We are working closely each day with the Ugandan government to respond and prevent a wider spread of mpox.”
US Ambassador to the East African country, William Popp, said “our commitment to a healthy Uganda is the foundation of a prosperous Uganda.”
“US’ partnership with the Ugandan people focuses on sustainable long-term solutions and building people’s capacity to address these issues independently in the future,” he noted in a brief statement.
In August, the WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.
The new mpox variant has been spreading from Democratic Republic of Congo to multiple African countries including Kenya, Ghana and
Africa has reported over 32,000 suspected mpox cases including over 840 deaths so far this year, according to Africa Centres for Disease Control data.
On September 24, US President Joe Biden announced that donation of 1 million mpox vaccine doses and at least $500 million was headed to African countries to support their response to the outbreak.
Annually, the US offers nearly $1 billion (about Shs3.7 trillion) in assistance to Uganda.
