The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has announced that Mpox remains a significant public health concern across the continent. During a weekly briefing, Dr. Jean Kaseya, the Director General of Africa CDC, revealed that 489 new cases of Mpox and 53 deaths were confirmed in the past week alone.
Kaseya emphasized the seriousness of the Mpox situation in Africa, stating, “A total of 3,186 new cases were reported in the past week, with 489 confirmed and 53 deaths. While we do not see a reduction in deaths, there is an increase in cases compared to previous weeks.”
He underscored the urgency for accelerated interventions, particularly vaccination efforts, to combat the spread of the disease. Kaseya highlighted a vaccination campaign that has been launched in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the country hardest hit by Mpox, where over 1,600 people have already been vaccinated, primarily in the eastern region.
Nigeria is also preparing to combat the outbreak, having recently received 10,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine from the United States. Vaccination efforts in Nigeria are set to begin in the coming days.
In total, Africa is expected to receive 10 million doses of the Mpox vaccine from international partners. Since the beginning of 2024, over 38,300 cases have been recorded across 16 African countries, resulting in 979 deaths. Notably, Ghana and Zambia are the latest countries to report outbreaks of Mpox.
The Africa CDC continues to monitor the situation closely, urging nations to strengthen their response strategies to effectively manage and mitigate the impact of Mpox on public health.