Mpox cases are rapidly escalating across the African continent, with a staggering increase of over 500% reported compared to the previous year, according to data released by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Thursday. This alarming rise comes on the heels of the World Health Organization’s declaration of mpox as a global health emergency in mid-August, triggered by a new strain that has spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring nations.
Despite efforts to address the outbreak, Ngashi Ngongo of the Africa CDC emphasized that the situation remains critical. “The situation is not yet under control; we are still on the upward trend generally,” Ngongo stated during a recent briefing, highlighting the urgent need for continued action.
As of now, nineteen African countries have reported more than 48,000 suspected cases of mpox, resulting in 1,048 deaths this year alone. Central Africa bears the brunt of the outbreak, accounting for an overwhelming 85.7% of reported cases and 99.5% of fatalities on the continent, underscoring the region’s vulnerability to this health crisis.
The virus, which can spread through close physical contact, including sexual transmission, has also reached Europe, with confirmed cases in Sweden, Germany, and the UK. Ngongo called for increased political and financial support to combat the outbreak, stressing the importance of preventing the new clade Ib strain from evolving into a widespread sexually transmitted pandemic, which could have dire consequences reminiscent of the COVID-19 crisis.
