Nairobi, Oct 31, 2024, IANS

Nairobi, Oct 31 (IANS) The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN migration agency, appealed for $27.8 million to protect and support migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and mobile populations, as well as the communities they interact with, from the outbreak of mpox. The IOM on Wednesday said the appeal is in response to the escalating number of people affected by the mpox outbreak, spreading across parts of Africa, as reported by Xinhua news agency. "IOM appeals to international donors, governments, and partners to support the mpox response to protect the health and well-being of migration-affected communities," it said in a statement released in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. The IOM has been responding to mpox since the recent outbreak and spread of the disease in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The IOM said it had expanded the East, Horn and Southern Africa's plan into a multi-country mpox preparedness and response plan for Africa, covering the period from September 2024 to February 2025. "The plan aims to address the health needs of migrants and IDPs by providing health screenings, risk communication and community engagement within affected communities," the IOM said. The plan also seeks to support cross-border coordination between governments and local communities and support countries to strengthen response at key borders and points of entry in high-risk areas across Africa. According to the IOM, the number of confirmed cases across Africa has risen sharply from over 2,800 in 12 countries to more than 9,300 in 34 countries as of October 20, 2024. The latest appeal comes after an initial 18.5-million-dollar request for funding for countries affected in East, Horn and Southern Africa was issued in August. The IOM said the virus, which spreads through close contact with infected persons, is disproportionately affecting IDPs, migrants, and highly mobile populations living in cross-border communities due to the absence of disease prevention, detection and control measures available to them. The risk is further heightened by their overcrowded and poor living and working conditions, as the UN agency said that its response plan seeks to address pressing health vulnerabilities exacerbated by high mobility across the continent. Despite the work of the IOM, however, the funding gap remains significantly low, with only 1 million dollars secured from the 18.5-million-dollar appeal. "Without additional support, crucial activities at points of entry are likely to face disruptions," the IOM warned, adding that over 1,047,900 health screenings have been conducted in the DRC, Guinea, and Uganda for over four months.