Africa has reported 14,669 lab-confirmed Mpox cases and 55 deaths in 2024, according to Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Moeti in a statement on Tuesday said despite the ongoing global threat posed by the disease, which was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in November 2024, Africa is seeing positive signs of containment, but emphasized challenges persist, and vigilance is still needed.
Dr. Moeti highlighting key progress noted that since October 2024, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea, and South Africa have reported no active mpox outbreaks for six weeks with Ghana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe recently joining this control phase.
WHO reports that 16 of the 19 affected African countries now achieve testing rates above 80%, a significant milestone in tackling the disease.
According to the regional director, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains the epicenter, accounting for nearly 80% of all confirmed cases.
“Mpox has spread to over 80% of its health zones but limited diagnostic capacity and logistical issues hinder timely testing and response efforts in many provinces,” she said.
Remaining challenges
Dr. Moeti explained that despite significant progress, mpox transmission remains ongoing in 12 African countries, eight of them —Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Uganda, and Kenya—are experiencing high levels of concern, requiring sustained and focused interventions.
“The DRC, Burundi, and Uganda alone account for over 96% of all confirmed cases in the region,” she noted.
Dr. Moeti stressed the importance of global solidarity, however, she calls for the need for additional resources to solidify the gains made and address existing gaps, particularly in vaccine access and surveillance.
Global perspective
“As of 27 November 2024, Africa has reported 14,669 confirmed cases of mpox and 55 deaths,” Dr. Moeti said. “The international spread of the highly virulent clade 1b strain further highlights the urgent need to address the outbreak at its epicenter to prevent further global transmission.”
However, Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, typically presents with skin rashes, fever, and other symptoms, with severe cases potentially leading to death.
“The progress we’ve seen is encouraging, but the fight is far from over,” Dr. Moeti concluded, emphasizing the need for stronger national commitments and continued international collaboration, which are essential to protect communities in Africa and beyond.
Sustained support and Vaccine rollouts
Dr. Moeti said that WHO, in collaboration with Africa CDC and other partners, has trained over 2,000 health workers, expanded diagnostic capabilities by supplying 42,000 PCR tests, and facilitated community engagement campaigns.
“Vaccination campaigns are underway in Nigeria, Rwanda, and the DRC, with plans to expand to other countries.
“Nearly 900,000 vaccine doses have been allocated to nine African nations hardest hit by the outbreak,” She asserted.
Dr. Moeti concluded by stating that the introduction of targeted vaccine deployment plans, supported by WHO’s prequalification of the MVA-BN vaccine and emergency use listing for other vaccines, aims to maximize the impact of limited supplies.
What you should know
Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, typically presents with a skin rash or mucosal lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. In severe cases, it can be fatal.
As of 27 November 2024, over 14,669 confirmed Mpox cases and 55 deaths have been reported in Africa.
The spread of the highly virulent clade 1b strain to countries like the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, the United States, Thailand, and India emphasizes the urgency of tackling the outbreak at its epicenter to prevent further global spread.
