The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned that mpox continues to pose a significant health challenge across the continent, with close to 2,000 fatalities reported since the beginning of 2024, despite recent improvements in response efforts.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa CDC, disclosed this during a virtual press briefing on Thursday.
Kaseya said that the Africa CDC’s Emergency Consultative Group (ECG) met on Sept. 2 and unanimously recommended that mpox should remain classified as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS).
He said that due to ongoing case surges, new introductions in previously unaffected countries, and persistent gaps in surveillance, testing and vaccine access.
He said more than 185,000 suspected mpox cases had been reported across 29 African countries since January 2024. Of these, 51,969 were confirmed, while 1,987 deaths were documented.
“Year 2025 alone has already seen 105,697 suspected cases, surpassing last year’s tally of 80,297 cases. Cumulatively, over 32,000 confirmed cases and 758 deaths have been reported this year,”.
Encouragingly, he noted a steady decline in new infections in recent weeks.
“Data showed that weekly confirmed cases dropped by 52 per cent, from a peak of 1,441 cases in May to an average of 695 cases over the past five weeks.
“Testing coverage also improved, rising from 30 per cent to 66 per cent across suspected cases in the last six weeks.
“While progress has been made, mpox transmission remains active in several countries,” he said.
He pointed to continuing increases in Guinea, Ghana and Liberia, even as case numbers fall in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Burundi.
“More than one million vaccine doses have been administered across 11 countries, with another 200,000 doses expected to arrive in the coming weeks.”
He said vaccination, alongside enhanced surveillance and cross-border coordination, would be key to preventing a resurgence.
He stressed that “sustained vigilance and strong continental coordination” remain critical until the outbreak is fully contained.
Mpox, once known as monkeypox, is a viral infection that spreads through bodily fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated items. It presents with fever, rashes, and swollen lymph nodes, and can be fatal in high-risk groups.
The outbreak was first declared a continental emergency by Africa CDC in August 2024, followed by a global health emergency designation by the World Health Organisation.