DA calls on Health Minister to put Mpox on SADC agenda and collaborate with AU

Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Michele Clarke MP

The DA calls on the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, to ensure that the Mpox is put on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit agenda this coming weekend.

While South Africa's numbers are under control and we have access to Mpox treatment, the fact that the Africa Centres for Disease Control (CDC) declared it a health emergency and the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) shows just how fast the situation can change.

It is vital that the Department of Health engage with the Africa CDC and the African Union's Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS) to ensure collaboration in developing a coordinated response to this health emergency on the continent. Access to treatment across the continent must be prioritised, as well as education on prevention and recognition of symptoms to ensure that infected people receive treatment as early as possible.

The DA will keep a close eye on the development of the disease in South Africa and the region. We will also call on the Department to provide the parliamentary portfolio committee on health with an update on the state of the Treaty for the Establishment of the African Medicines Agency (AMA), which has the potential to transform healthcare across Africa with improved access to safe and effective medicines. It must be noted that while the DA supported the AMA Treaty, we have yet to get crucial requested information, including the funding model of the AMA.