WHO reports nearly 30,000 suspected mpox cases in Africa this year

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday that nearly 30,000 suspected mpox cases have been reported across Africa in 2024, with the majority occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The outbreak has strained the region's resources, especially in the DRC, which has run out of testing supplies. According to the WHO report, 29,342 suspected and confirmed cases were recorded across Africa from January to September 15 this year, along with 812 suspected and confirmed deaths. Alongside the DRC, neighboring Burundi has experienced a rise in cases.

Limited diagnostic capacity across several African countries has left many suspected cases untested, adding to the challenges. WHO data shows that as of September 15, the DRC accounted for 5,399 confirmed cases, while Burundi and Nigeria reported 564 and 55 confirmed cases, respectively. Other countries like South Africa, Uganda, Liberia and Morocco have also seen new cases and deaths in recent weeks, with a total of 2,046 new suspected cases and 14 deaths reported across nine countries.

In response to the crisis, international support has been mobilized. Last week, the World Bank announced a $128.89 million contribution to assist ten African countries in their efforts to control the outbreak.

Mpox, which spreads through close contact, usually causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions and can be fatal in rare cases. The severity of the current outbreak led the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to declare mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security on August 13, 2024. A day later, WHO classified the Clade I outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.

(With input from Reuters)