ADDIS ABABA: The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has raised concerns about the challenges in monitoring mpox as the number of cases in Africa has exceeded 45,000 this year.

During an online media briefing, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya announced that since the start of the year, 18 African nations have reported a total of 45,327 mpox cases, with 9,114 confirmed cases and over 1,000 deaths recorded.

Kaseya indicated that in the past week alone, Africa saw 2,729 new cases, with 1,001 confirmed and 36 additional deaths. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi were responsible for 96 percent of the new confirmed cases.

According to Africa CDC data, the Central Africa region has accounted for 85.5 percent of reported cases and 99.5 percent of deaths. This year's figures reflect a staggering 400 percent increase compared to the entire year of 2023.

Kaseya acknowledged the high acceptance of mpox vaccination in the DRC and Rwanda, noting that all high-risk countries have developed plans and are gearing up to vaccinate their populations.

He also mentioned that five African countries—Cameroon, Gabon, Guinea, Rwanda, and South Africa—have not reported any confirmed cases in the last four weeks. Moreover, no new deaths have occurred outside Central Africa since last week.

Mpox, commonly referred to as monkeypox, was first identified in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is a rare viral disease typically transmitted through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials. Symptoms usually include fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.

In mid-August, the Africa CDC declared the ongoing mpox outbreak a public health emergency of continental security. Shortly thereafter, the World Health Organization classified mpox as a public health emergency of international concern, marking its second activation of the highest level of global alert for the disease in two years.

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