The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) issued a stark warning on Thursday, September 19, 2024, stating that the mpox outbreak is not yet under control. Data reveals a 177% surge in cases and a 38.5% rise in fatalities compared to the same period last year.
Director General Jean Kaseya noted that the virus is spreading into new territories, with Morocco recently reporting its first case, meaning the disease has now reached all four regions of the continent.
Currently, 15 out of the 55 African Union member states have confirmed cases. The situation is further complicated by the circulation of two different strains of the virus in nations like Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
However, Kaseya warned that the true extent of this dual circulation is unknown elsewhere because local surveillance and testing systems remain too weak to provide a full picture.
In a single week, nearly 3,000 new cases were reported, along with 14 deaths. While Rwanda has already initiated a vaccination campaign, the DRC, which remains the epicenter of the crisis, is not scheduled to begin its vaccinations until early October. African health systems, still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, are struggling to manage this latest international public health emergency.