Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said that Canada will provide one million dollars to help eradicate monkeypox in Africa, as her government works on preparing a long-awaited plan on how to engage with the continent.

The funds will go to the World Health Organization in its efforts to contain the spread of the virus formerly known as monkeypox, which has rapidly spread across Africa.

Joly is set to visit the vaccination coordination center in Côte d'Ivoire, before heading to South Africa for two days starting Wednesday.

The visit to the West African nation aims to explore shared counter-terrorism priorities and reaffirm Canada’s ties with both French-speaking countries.

Joly's office said she will also discuss the economic partnership between Canada and South Africa and celebrate the 30th anniversary of the end of the apartheid system.

The trip comes days after the Liberals launched consultations on what they now call their approach to Africa, which includes the best place to position diplomats and what issues to focus on.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have asked Canada to donate some of its stock of mpox vaccines, although Ottawa has only stated that it is exploring how to assist.

According to Joly's office, the newly announced funding will go toward improving mpox detection and reporting systems, such as enhancing laboratory testing and accelerating research.

This funding builds on a $2 million contribution Canada made to the World Health Organization for health emergency responses worldwide.

South Africa has previously criticized countries like Canada for hoarding COVID-19 vaccines that were urgently needed in Africa, and for not supporting efforts to lift patents on COVID-19 drugs and vaccines that have rarely been allowed to be manufactured in African countries.

Joly said in a statement, "Canada stands with our African and multilateral partners in their efforts to accelerate the response to the current mpox outbreak. We are ready to assist in the global response and do our part to stop the spread of the virus."

The Liberals have been assembling what they initially called a three-year Africa strategy for almost three years, but downgraded the project last year to call it a framework. In April, a senior bureaucrat stated that there was no longer a name used to describe the plan, which as of this week Ottawa now calls its "approach" to the continent.

Public administration experts have previously pointed out that strategies are multi-year plans that often involve funding allocations, while frameworks are a general set of principles.

In 2022, Senate members on the foreign affairs committee warned that Canada is lagging behind its peers and rivals in forging economic relationships on the continent.

Africa challenges a global trend of demographic decline, with young populations thriving and a series of trade deals and infrastructure projects that economists predict will lead to an economic boom.

Canada has already committed to some kind of economic cooperation plan with Africa, having wrapped up consultations last summer. It is unclear whether this initiative will be integrated into the broader approach led by Joly.

aid experts have called on Canada to improve the branding of projects it funds on the continent and to adopt a more cohesive approach to both development and trade.

Organizations like One Campaign and CUSO International have observed that Canada is losing significance through ongoing disconnect, thus conceding ground to Russia and China.