Data from the public health agency indicate that from the beginning of 2024 to August 23, a total of 21,466 potential cases of mpox and 591 deaths have been reported from 13 African Union (AU) member states.
The AU members that have reported mpox cases so far include Rwanda, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Gabon, Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya, in a letter to African health ministers on Friday, warned that the reported mpox cases and deaths are just the tip of the iceberg, given that mpox is mostly a mild condition. He added that limited surveillance, testing, contact tracing, and reporting have also hindered the continent's response efforts against mpox.
Kaseya also highlighted the high case fatality rate of mpox, which he noted typically ranges from 3 to 4 percent. Additionally, he expressed concern about the disease's association with HIV, which poses an extra challenge for Africa.
Kaseya noted that several previously unaffected African countries have recently reported their first imported cases of mpox, and there is a high risk that the virus could spread beyond Africa.
"Even as I wrote this letter, Gabon has confirmed its first case, while Sierra Leone and Malawi are now testing their suspected cases," Kaseya said.
He insisted that a negative test result in the laboratory does not necessarily indicate the absence of a mpox epidemic. He called for a holistic approach that integrates laboratory testing with clinical assessments and epidemiological data.
"Relying solely on laboratory test results for diagnosing mpox is not advisable. We need a comprehensive approach that includes laboratory testing, clinical assessment, and epidemiological data to accurately diagnose and manage mpox," he said.
Africa CDC declared mpox a public health emergency of continental security on August 13, 2024. The following day, the World Health Organization (WHO) also declared it a public health emergency of international concern.
Some of the interventions Africa CDC has rolled out to address the outbreak include vaccination, which the agency stated earlier this week could begin "in the coming days."
Additionally, Africa CDC announced the deployment of around 200 epidemiologists and logisticians to all mpox-affected African countries to support preparedness and response activities. This follows the recent deployment of 24 experts to support the response in the DRCâ€"the epicenter of the outbreakâ€"and other highly affected countries.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
