A significant surge in mpox cases has been observed across the African continent in 2024. According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the number of suspected cases has risen by a staggering 545% compared to the previous year.
As of Thursday, 50,840 suspected cases and 1,083 deaths have been reported from 19 African countries. The Central African region remains the hardest-hit, accounting for a substantial portion of the total cases and fatalities.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa CDC, expressed deep concern over the slow disbursement of pledged funds for mpox response efforts. “The figures we have today of disbursement are not even matching 20% of the pledges we got,” he stated during a virtual news conference.
Despite pledges exceeding $1 billion from health partners and countries, the actual allocation of funds remains insufficient. To address this, the Africa CDC has allocated 899,000 vaccine doses to nine severely affected countries: Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, being the most affected country, will receive the largest share of the vaccine doses.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency in August 2024, highlighting the rapid spread of a new variant.Mpox, a zoonotic viral disease, can be transmitted through close contact with infected individuals, animals, or contaminated materials. Common symptoms include rashes, fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, weakness, and swollen lymph nodes.