Africa's top health body declares mpox a continental health emergency

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has declared mpox, previously known as monkeypox, a "public health emergency of continental security" due to its escalating spread across the continent. This decision comes amid a significant outbreak originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and affecting neighboring countries, reports AFP.

Jean Kaseya, the director general of Africa CDC, announced the emergency status during an online media briefing, expressing deep concern over the rapid increase in cases. As of August 2024, over 15,000 cases and 461 deaths have been reported across Africa, marking a 160 percent rise compared to the same period last year.

Mpox, which is transmitted through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, has now crossed borders, creating severe impacts on communities. The outbreak began with the endemic Clade I strain but has since spread to a more transmissible Clade Ib variant, which spreads more easily, particularly among children.

Kaseya emphasized that this declaration is a critical call to action, stressing the need for proactive measures to contain and eliminate the virus. The virus, endemic in parts of Africa since its discovery in 1970, gained international attention in 2022 when it spread to over a hundred countries, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global health emergency. Although the WHO lifted this emergency status after ten months, the situation in Africa remains dire, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated public health responses.