Mpox Outbreak In Africa Reaches 34,000 Cases

A child infected with monkeypox received treatment at Nyiragongo hospital near Goma, North Kivu province, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (ANTARA/Xinhua/Zanem Nety Zaidi)

AFRICA - Since early 2024, cases of monkeypox (mux) in Africa have increased significantly. According to the latest data from the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the total cases reached 34,000 cases.

This includes 6,806 confirmed cases and 866 deaths, according to a statement from the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Mpox, or monkeypox, is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. This disease spreads through close contact and is characterized by symptoms such as fever, swelling of lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle aches, appearance of skin rashes, and back pain.

Director-General of CDC Africa, Jean Kaseya, revealed, in just the past week alone, there were an additional 2,490 new cases, with 365 of them confirmed and 26 deaths. This brings the total accumulation of MPX cases in Africa for this year to 34,297.

Based on CDC Africa data, the Democratic Republics of Congo and Burundi accounted for about 94.5 percent of the total confirmed cases in the past week.

According to Kaseya, 16 African countries are currently affected by the widespread outbreak of thempox, with Ghana becoming the latest country to report cases in the past week. Cases of monkeypox have been found in five key regions of the continent.

Despite the increase in efforts to monitor thempox, Kaseya stressed, many affected countries still need to increase the accuracy and completeness of their reporting.

Kaseya also added that although the number of laboratory confirmations had increased dramatically compared to previous years, the level of testing in the field was still not optimal.

In August, the African CDC designated the monkeypox outbreak that is hitting the continent as a Public Health Emergency that Threatens Continent Security (PHECS).

Shortly after, the World Health Organization (WHO) also declaredmpox as a Public Health Emergency that is of International Attention (PHEIC), signaling the highest emergency status for this outbreak, which is the second time in two years. (Ant)