
Africa’s Mpox 42,438 Cases!
Addis Ababa, 17 Oct (EFE) –
The public health agency of the African Union reported Thursday that it has recorded 42,438 cases (8,113 confirmed) and 1,100 deaths from mpox in 18 member states since the beginning of 2024.
“Mpox is not under control,” said the director of the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa), Jean Kaseya, at his weekly press briefing.

“Eighteen countries is too many; we cannot continue on this path. As highlighted this week, in week 40, we have reported a total of 1,100 deaths,” said Kaseya, who stressed the need to accelerate the response against the spread of the disease.
The Congolese doctor urged the AU’s international partners to release the funds pledged to fight the epidemic.
Last week, 3,051 new infections and 50 new deaths were reported, Kaseya said, noting that the number of confirmed cases has increased by 380% in 2024 compared to 2023.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicenter of the outbreak, has been hardest hit by the epidemic and launched a vaccination campaign on Oct. 5.
As of Oct. 16, 20,897 people, including 8,435 women, had been vaccinated in three provinces of the DRC.
On Aug. 13, the African CDC declared mpox a “Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS)” and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced an international health alert for the disease.

The WHO alert refers to the rapid spread and high mortality in Africa of the new variant (clade Ib).
The first case outside Africa was identified in Sweden. The person had traveled to an area of Africa where the virus is circulating intensively.
The clade Ib variant differs from clade II, which caused a violent outbreak in Africa in 2022, as well as hundreds of cases in Europe, North America, and countries in other regions, leading to the declaration of an international public health emergency in 2022 and 2023.
According to the WHO, mpox is an infectious disease that can cause a painful rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and lack of energy. EFE
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