Mpox: CDC Africa declares “a public health emergency”

Hibapress

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Tuesday declared a “public health emergency”, its highest level of alert, over the growing outbreak of COPD on the continent, issuing a “clear call to action” to halt its spread.

A total of 38,465 cases and 1,456 deaths from the disease, formerly known as monkeypox, have been reported in 16 African countries since January 2022, including a 160% increase in cases in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to data from the Africa CDC health agency.

“MPOX has now crossed borders, affecting thousands of people across our continent (…) I announce, with a heavy heart but with an unwavering commitment to our people, to our African citizens, that we are declaring MPOX as a “continental” public health emergency,” said CDC-Africa President Jean Kaseya at a press conference.

“This statement is not a mere formality, it is a clear call to action. It is a recognition that we can no longer afford to be reactive. We must be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to contain and eliminate this scourge,” he added.

This announcement, which will notably make it possible to release funds for access to vaccines and to have a continental response, comes on the eve of the meeting of the emergency committee of the World Health Organization to assess whether it is necessary to declare the highest level of health alert at the international level in the face of this disease.

According to CDC-Africa, the fatality rate of the virus is over 3% and children under 15 are the most affected, representing at least 60% of cases.