Mpox remains uncontrolled across Africa, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The agency reported nearly 3,000 new suspected cases of the disease in the past week, with 374 confirmed infections. The spread has now been documented in all four regions of the continent; Africa CDC confirmed Thursday.
In his weekly briefing, Africa CDC Director Jean Kaseya announced that 14 more deaths were reported in connection with mpox, bringing the total number of cases in Africa since the start of the year to more than 29,000. A total of 738 deaths have been recorded across 15 countries.
“We can say now: mpox is not under control in Africa,” Kaseya stressed, highlighting the rapid increase in cases. He attributed the gap between suspected and confirmed cases to limited testing and insufficient laboratory capacities across the continent. Compared to the same period last year, Africa has experienced a staggering 180% increase in mpox cases and a 39% rise in related deaths. “Enough is enough; we have to stop this,” Kaseya urged.
While the arrival of vaccines has sparked some hope, vaccination campaigns have only begun in Rwanda, where around 500 people have been immunized so far. Despite Rwanda’s efforts, the country is not among the most severely affected. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi—both neighbouring Rwanda—are facing much more critical outbreaks. An immunization plan for the DRC is still pending, Kaseya noted. The Congo, Africa’s second-largest country, continues to face major challenges in controlling the outbreak due to poor infrastructure and logistical difficulties, including maintaining cold chains for vaccines in rural areas.
Kaseya also revealed that in some countries, such as Cameroon and the DRC, two strains of the disease are circulating. However, due to inadequate surveillance and testing systems, it remains unclear if this is the case in other regions as well.
As Africa struggles to contain the ongoing outbreak, public health officials are calling for more robust testing, increased vaccination efforts, and stronger infrastructure to address the escalating crisis.
