Africa Faces Mpox Crisis, Declares Public Health Emergency

The Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC) declared a public health emergency on Tuesday in response to the escalating Mpox outbreak across the continent, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The outbreak has surged in several African nations, with the DRC being hit the hardest. A new strain of the virus, first identified in September 2023, has now spread beyond the DRC’s borders.

Since the start of the year, the DRC has reported over 14,000 Mpox cases and 511 deaths. While Mpox outbreaks have occurred in the DRC for decades, the number of cases has been rising steadily each year.

Alarmingly, the number of cases reported in the first half of this year equals the total reported last year, with the virus reaching previously unaffected regions.

In a statement, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya announced the emergency declaration, saying, “With a heavy heart but with an unyielding commitment to our people, to our African citizens, we declare mpox as a public health emergency of continental security.

“Mpox has now crossed borders, affecting thousands across our continent, families have been torn apart, and the pain and suffering have touched every corner of our continent.”

Kaseya emphasized that the declaration is a call to action, urging the continent to move from a reactive stance to a proactive and aggressive approach in containing and eliminating the Mpox threat.