The mpox outbreak in Africa continues to spiral out of control, with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) sounding the alarm on Thursday. According to Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC, the disease is still on the rise in several countries, with a staggering 177% surge in cases and a 38.5% increase in deaths compared to the same period last year. This dire situation has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, citing the emergence of a new variant .
The outbreak has spread to all four regions of the continent, with 15 of the 55 African Union member states reporting cases. Morocco is the latest country to report a case, highlighting the disease’s rapid spread. In just one week, 2,912 new cases were reported, and 14 people lost their lives to the disease. The situation is particularly concerning in countries like Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where two strains of the disease are circulating. However, weak surveillance and testing systems make it challenging to determine if this is the case in other countries.
In response to the crisis, Rwanda has launched its vaccination campaign, while the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicenter of the outbreak, is set to start vaccinations in early October ¹. The WHO recommends vaccination for individuals at high risk of exposure and has approved two vaccines for emergency use.
