The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is considering declaring a continental public health emergency as the mpox outbreak rapidly escalates, Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya announced on Thursday, August 8.
According to The Guardian, the agency reported 887 new confirmed and suspected cases in the past week, raising the total for the year to 15,132—marking a 160% increase compared to the same period last year.
Multiple African countries are affected.
Sixteen African countries have reported mpox cases, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounting for over 90% of them. The outbreak has resulted in 461 deaths so far this year.
Notably, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda have reported mpox cases for the first time, highlighting the virus’s expanding reach across the continent.
These developments come after a statement from World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who announced that an emergency committee would soon convene to determine if the outbreak should be declared a global emergency.
Declaring a continental public health emergency would involve technical consultations between the Africa CDC and affected African Union member states, followed by an extraordinary summit of heads of state to coordinate a unified response.
**What We Know About the New Mpox Strain**
Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, is a viral disease characterized by painful rashes and flu-like symptoms.
Although the virus has been infecting humans for decades, scientists are now alarmed by a newly reported, more virulent strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that could potentially spread more easily.
Mpox outbreaks are triggered by different clades of the virus. The current spread is being driven by a new variant that has undergone genetic changes. These changes have raised concerns among scientists, as they may have made the variant more infectious and dangerous.
In May this year, researchers identified this more virulent strain in the DRC, noting its potential for easier transmission.
**Current Spread and Vaccine Availability**
So far, cases of the new mpox strain, belonging to clade 1, have only been reported in central and eastern Africa.
**Vaccine Availability**
While Western countries have managed to control the spread of mpox with vaccines, Africa is grappling with a severe shortage of doses. According to Dr. Jean Kaseya, the continent currently has only 200,000 doses, far below the estimated need of 10 million.
In response, the African Union recently allocated $10.4 million to the Africa CDC to strengthen efforts in combating the outbreak.
