Africa CDC shared a situation update on mpox on the African continent in July 2024. This reveals that between January 2022 and July 2024 a total of 37,583 cases and 1,451 deaths have been reported. The Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is 3.9%. 15 African Union Member States have reported these cases. In 2024 alone (until July 2024), a total of 14,250 cases and 456 deaths (CFR of 3.2%) have been reported from 10 Member States. This represents a 160% increase in cases and a 19% increase in deaths compared to the same period in 2023.
A worrying increase
Over the past two years the 15 Member States that have reported mpox cases are: Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ghana, Liberia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, and South Africa. In 2024 the following countries have reported cases:
- Burundi – 8 cases, 0 deaths
- Cameroon – 35 cases, 2 deaths
- CAR – 213 cases, 0 deaths
- Congo – 146 cases, 1 death
- DRC – 13,791 cases, 450 deaths
- Ghana – 4 cases, 0 deaths
- Liberia – 5 cases, 0 deaths
- Nigeria – 24 cases, 0 deaths
- Rwanda – 2 cases, 0 deaths
- South Africa – 22 cases, 3 deaths
Further to these cases, Chad has reported 24 suspected cases but no confirmed cases. DRC accounts for 96.3% of all cases and 97% of all deaths in 2024.
High geoscope and risk
Africa CDC ranks the geographic scope (geoscope) for mpox in Africa as “high”. Considering the morbidity and mortality, probability of spread, and availability of effective control measures, the risk assessment is also “high”.
“While mpox is moderately transmissible and usually self-limiting, the case fatality rate has been much higher on the African continent compared to the rest of the world. Despite a safe and effective vaccine and antiviral treatment against mpox, these are not readily available.”
Africa CDC’s response
The update concludes with a few “key ongoing activities” contributing to Africa CDC’s participation in mpox preparedness and response:
- Activation of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to enhance coordination and provide technical support to Member States
- High-level political advocacy and agenda setting
- Deployment of the Africa CDC Rapid Response Team to DRC to support response efforts including coordination, surveillance and contact tracing, field investigation, and strategy development
- Laboratory support – providing RT-PCR test kits and ancillary supplies and training participants in sample processing, RT-PCR-based detection, sequencing, and molecular diagnosis
- Training and resources – a four-module animated course for public health professionals, policymakers, and health workers in endemic areas with information on mpox prevention, detection, treatment, patient care, infection control, and outbreak investigation
- Collaboration with partners
- Advocating for strengthened surveillance, diagnostic capacities, and access to vaccines and medical drugs
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