Mpox cases have surged by more than 500% across Africa in the past year, according to new data from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global health emergency in August after a new strain originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo began spreading to nearby countries.
“We’re still on an upward trend and have yet to bring the situation under control,” Ngashi Ngongo from Africa CDC stated during a briefing.
Data shows that 19 African nations have reported over 48,000 suspected mpox cases, including 1,048 deaths this year alone. Central Africa has borne the brunt of the outbreak, accounting for 85.7% of reported cases and 99.5% of deaths on the continent.
The virus spreads primarily through close physical contact, including sexual contact, and the new strain, clade Ib, has also been detected in Europe, with cases emerging in Sweden, Germany, and the UK.
Ngongo emphasized the need for increased political support and funding to control the outbreak: “We don’t want mpox, especially clade Ib, to develop into another sexually transmitted pandemic, which could be more severe than COVID-19.”