Scientists to Study Traditional Herbs for Mpox Treatment Amid Drug Gaps
Speaking during a media café organized by the Health Journalists Network in Uganda (HEJNU), Dr. Wayengera noted that while the antiviral drug tecovirimat is globally approved for treating Mpox, it is ineffective against the clade 1b strain currently circulating in Uganda.
Scientists in Uganda are launching studies to evaluate the effectiveness of local herbal remedies being used by communities to manage Mpox, a viral disease that continues to spread in parts of the country. Dr. Misaki Wayengera, chairperson of the Ministry of Health’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Epidemics and Dangerous Pathogens, said the initiative comes amid the absence of a widely effective treatment and limited access to vaccines.
Speaking during a media café organized by the Health Journalists Network in Uganda (HEJNU), Dr. Wayengera noted that while the antiviral drug tecovirimat is globally approved for treating Mpox, it is ineffective against the clade 1b strain currently circulating in Uganda. This strain is genetically similar to the one found in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the drug has already been tested and shown to have no effect.
With anecdotal evidence suggesting that some traditional plant-based remedies are aiding recovery, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation is now working with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to identify the active ingredients in these herbal treatments and evaluate their potential for formal use.
Uganda currently ranks among the top three countries with the highest Mpox cases on the continent. According to Africa CDC data, Uganda accounted for more than 20% of all Mpox cases recorded in Africa last week, with 160 new infections confirmed.
Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, head of the Incident Support Team at Africa CDC, noted that Masaka and Hoima cities continue to report high and increasing numbers of Mpox cases. In contrast, Kampala, Wakiso, Mbarara, and Mukono, which had previously recorded high numbers, are now seeing a decline, attributed partly to vaccination efforts.
Currently, Uganda is employing two main strategies: supportive treatment for confirmed patients and targeted vaccination of high-risk populations, such as sex workers. Sexual transmission has been identified as the primary mode of Mpox spread in the country. However, Dr. Wayengera cautioned that the vaccination effort is still far from adequate.
Since the start of the outbreak, Uganda has recorded a cumulative total of 5,723 confirmed Mpox cases and 40 deaths. Notably, 50% of all fatalities have occurred among people living with HIV.
