mpox outbreak Africa

Mpox deaths exceed 1,000 as outbreaks widen across Africa

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Mpox-related deaths have surpassed 1,000 amid outbreaks affecting 18 of Africa’s 55 nations, according to the head of the Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya. This week alone saw 50 new fatalities, bringing the total to 1,100. Kaseya urged international partners to fulfill their pledges to support Africa’s response, highlighting a nearly $600 million budget for a six-month plan developed by Africa CDC and the WHO. Of this amount, 55% is earmarked for addressing mpox in 14 affected nations and enhancing preparedness in 15 others. Mpox, related to smallpox, typically causes milder symptoms like fever and body aches, but severe cases can result in lesions. Zambia and Zimbabwe recently confirmed new cases, with eastern DRC remaining the epicenter of the outbreak. The mpox virus was first identified in Denmark in 1958, and while it had sporadically spread in central and West Africa for years, a global outbreak began in 2022, prompting rapid vaccine distribution from wealthy countries.

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African health body says mpox still major health issue as cases rise

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Mpox is still a major public health issue in Africa, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday amid surging new cases. A total of 3,186 new cases were reported in the past week, with 489 confirmed and 53 deaths, Jean Kaseya said at a news conference. “We don’t see a decrease in terms of death, but we see an increase when we compared with previous weeks,” he said, adding there is a need to accelerate several interventions, including vaccination, to stop the spread. In 2024, more than 38,300 cases have been recorded in 16 countries on the continent to go along with 979 deaths, according to the latest data from Africa CDC. Ghana and Zambia are the latest countries to report an outbreak of mpox on the continent. The World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency in August for the second time in two years, following the spread of a new variant of the viral infection from the Congo to neighboring countries. Kaseya said a vaccination campaign launched last weekend in Congo, the most affected country in the region, is on track with more than 1,600 people vaccinated, mainly in the east. Nigeria, which has received an allotment of 10,000 doses of a vaccine from the US, is to start vaccination in the coming days, according to Africa CDC. Africa expects to receive 10 million doses from partners. Mpox exhibits flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions.

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African countries, partners pledge $800M for Africa’s mpox response

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African countries and partners have pledged more than $800 million towards the continent’s mpox response amid surging infection, the director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced Thursday. Jean Kaseya said $314 million was pledged to a new mpox fund created at a meeting of African heads of state earlier this week, of which $129 million is from the pandemic fund to support 10 countries impacted by mpox, while about $145 million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). “Today we have around $814 million,” he said. Money from the pandemic fund will support 10 countries impacted by mpox: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan. “Our team is working with the pandemic fund team on the way to allocate these resources in the 10 countries approved for support,” Kaseya said at a virtual news conference. The funding, created at a meeting of African heads of state earlier this week, is expected to bolster country and regional capacity in critical areas, including disease surveillance, diagnostics, laboratory networks and health workforce while addressing the immediate challenges posed by mpox. The continental preparedness and response plan for Africa has a budget of about $600 million. Kaseya said the US has also committed to provide $500 million to support the continental response plan and 1 million vaccine doses. He said Africa has secured 4.4 million vaccine doses against 10 million doses needed to control the disease spread. A total of 2,910 new cases of mpox, mostly in central and eastern Africa, were recorded last week and 16 new deaths, according to the latest data from Africa CDC. More than 32,000 confirmed cases in 2024 have been recorded on the continent with 840 deaths. Compared to the same period last year, Kaseya said there has been more than a 194% increase in cases in 15 African nations. Mpox cases are steadily increasing across all affected countries, Kaseya said, citing contact tracing and low testing capacity among the challenges. The testing rate on the continent stands at 49.5%, whereby many cases cannot be confirmed. Kaseya said this week Africa CDC would deliver available vaccines from the EU to some affected countries such as Rwanda, the Central African Republic, South Africa, Burundi and Cameroon. Congo, the most affected country in the region, will begin vaccinations in the first week of October. “Our objective is to stop this outbreak in the next six months and we need full support from member states and our partners,” he said.

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Ramaphosa  calls for vaccine deployment against mpox in Africa

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 South Africa’s president on Tuesday called for the urgent deployment of vaccines and medical counter-measures to combat the growing threat of mpox, particularly in Africa. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the dangers posed by pandemics and endemics, including mpox, which has been spreading rapidly across the continent. “Pandemics and endemics cause a serious threat to us all,” he said. “We are concerned by the spread of mpox across the world, and Africa in particular. We urge the international community to mobilize vaccine stockpiles and other medical countermeasures for deployment where they are most needed,” he added. The outbreak of mpox has raised alarms across several African nations due to its rapid spread and the vulnerability of healthcare systems. The call for vaccines comes as international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, work to coordinate efforts to contain the virus. The Africa CDC recently warned about a worrying upward trend of mpox cases across the continent, stressing that the disease is not yet under control across Africa. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa CDC, last Thursday said that compared to the same period last year, there has been a 177% and 38.5% increase in the number of mpox cases and deaths, respectively, across 15 African nations. Africa has recorded more than 29,000 cases and 738 deaths this year, according to the latest data from the Africa CDC.

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WHO reports almost 30,000 suspected mpox cases in Africa

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A recent World Health Organization report reveals nearly 30,000 suspected mpox cases in Africa since the beginning of the year, primarily concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Burundi. The report also indicates over 800 deaths linked to suspected mpox during this period. Following the declaration of a public health emergency by the WHO’s director general, this outbreak represents the organization’s highest alert level. Outside Africa, a few cases have been confirmed in countries such as Sweden and Pakistan. Although the virus was first identified decades ago, it has evolved, making human-to-human transmission more efficient. Vaccination efforts against the virus are set to begin in the Democratic Republic of Congo on October 2nd.

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$600M Africa-wide plan launched to fight Mpox outbreak

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The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization have launched a comprehensive response plan to tackle the mpox outbreak across Africa. Announced on Friday, this joint initiative aims to enhance and expedite the continent’s efforts to control the virus, save lives, and protect public health. The plan, set to begin this month and continue through February next year, has an estimated budget of nearly $600 million. It follows the WHO’s declaration of a public health emergency of international concern due to the new strain of mpox three weeks ago. According to Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya, 55% of the funding will be allocated to the 14 countries with confirmed cases and to improve readiness in 15 additional nations. The remaining 45% will be used for operational and technical support through various partners, though specific funding sources were not disclosed. WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, explained that countries are classified based on their risk levels, with targeted support for areas experiencing intense outbreaks, such as eastern DRC, and preparations in lower-risk regions like Guinea. The response plan will focus on enhancing surveillance, laboratory testing, and community engagement, emphasizing that vaccines alone are insufficient to combat the outbreak. Since the beginning of 2024, Africa has reported 5,549 confirmed mpox cases and 643 deaths, marking a significant rise in both infections and fatalities compared to previous years. The Democratic Republic of Congo alone accounts for 91% of these cases, with a high prevalence among children under 15.

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DR Congo: MPOX vaccine shipments arrive amid rising cases

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The Mpox outbreak continues to ravage eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with patients at a Kamituga clinic anxiously awaiting vaccines. The country is set to receive its first shipment of Mpox vaccine doses on Thursday, followed by another on Saturday, according to officials. The situation is dire, with harrowing images of patients suffering from painful lesions. Richard Songa, a patient at Alima hospital, described his critical condition upon arrival and his hope for recovery with the new vaccines. “This disease is very dangerous and risks killing people,” he said, emphasizing the importance of vaccination. Dr. Fiston Nepa from Alima clinic noted that most patients are adults due to the more transmissible clade 1b, which spreads primarily through sexual contact. The first batch of vaccines is expected to arrive in Kinshasa, but the eastern Congo hotspot is still waiting. The World Health Organization declared a global emergency on August 14, with over 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths reported in Congo. Mpox, related to Smallpox, often presents with milder symptoms but can cause severe sores and blisters. The virus spreads through close skin-to-skin contact. The WHO plans to distribute around 230,000 vaccines soon and is launching educational campaigns to curb the outbreak.

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Africa has almost 4,000 new mpox cases in a week

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Africa is experiencing a sharp rise in mpox cases, with nearly 4,000 reported in the past week, according to the continent’s public health body. Dr. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), shared this update during an online briefing on Tuesday. In the past week, Africa reported 81 mpox-related deaths, bringing the totals to 22,863 cases and 622 deaths. Despite promises of 380,000 doses of mpox vaccines from Western partners like the European Union and the United States, this amounts to less than 15% of what is needed to control the outbreaks, particularly in Congo, the epicenter of the global health emergency. The first batch of promised vaccines for Congo, including 50,000 doses from the U.S. and 15,000 from the GAVI vaccines alliance, is now expected to arrive on September 1 after delays related to documentation and emergency authorization. Congo has also requested at least 2 million additional doses from Japan, with negotiations reportedly advanced. The new mpox variant, first identified in Congo, is causing significant community transmission elsewhere, including nearly 800 cases in neighboring Burundi over the last month. The U.S. has donated 10,000 doses of mpox vaccines to Nigeria, marking the first known donation to Africa since the current outbreaks began. Nigeria has recorded 40 mpox cases this year. The Africa CDC is developing a unified response plan for the outbreaks, which will be presented to African heads of state in September. Meanwhile, health measures and hygiene practices are being promoted across Africa to slow the virus’s spread, though enforcing these measures is challenging in Congo’s displaced camps amidst ongoing humanitarian crises.

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