The Africa CDC has sounded the alarm over a surge in Monkeypox (mpox) () cases across the African continent, announcing a coordinated response plan with the WHO.
Since 2024, the continent has reported 24,851 suspected mpox cases, including 5,549 confirmed cases and 643 deaths, said Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC, during an online press briefing on Friday. Congo has emerged as the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for 90 percent of reported cases. Congo has reported 20,463 suspected cases, including 635 deaths. Kaseya said there is an “upward trend” in mpox cases across Africa, with at least 14 countries affected, particularly since May 2024.
WHO Regional Director Moeti Urges Unified Effort to Contain Mpox Outbreak in Congo
WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti, who also participated in the briefing, called for a unified approach to contain the outbreak in Congo. She emphasised the importance of coordination under the Africa CDC-WHO joint continental response plan.”This is an important milestone for coordinated action between our agencies to support countries by strengthening expertise, mobilising resources, and rapidly halting the spread of mpox,” Moeti said.
“By working together, we can achieve more, ensuring that communities and individuals are protected from this virus.”In mid-August, the WHO declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa a public health emergency of international concern, citing the emergence of a more dangerous but poorly understood variant, clade 1b, first detected in Congo in September 2023.
Cases of this clade 1b strain have since been reported in several countries, including Sweden and Thailand. On Wednesday, Guinea confirmed its first mpox case, and Kaseya noted that genetic sequencing tests are underway to determine if the clade 1b variant has spread to West Africa.
Congo, which received its first batch of 99,100 mpox vaccine doses on Thursday, is currently developing a distribution and vaccination strategy, particularly in the eastern part of the country, where most cases have been reported amid a prolonged humanitarian crisis. However, health authorities have not yet announced when vaccinations will begin.
Reference:
- What you need to know about the latest mpox outbreak – (https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-latest-mpox-outbreak/2024/09)
Source-IANS
