WHO: Mpox Cases in Africa Approach 30K

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Facts

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday that more than 800 people have died and nearly 30K suspected mpox cases have been reported across Africa so far this year, with the majority occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).[1]
  • While the UN health body said that 29,342 cases were reported between Jan. 1 and Sept. 15, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) had on Sunday said that 29,152 cases and 738 deaths have been reported across five African regions since January.[2][1]
  • According to the WHO, the DRC had 5,399, Burundi had 564, and Nigeria had 55 confirmed cases as of Sept. 15. Meanwhile, the Africa CDC said that the continent reported 2,912 new mpox cases in the last seven days alone.[3][4]
  • In 2023, the African Union's public health agency reported 14,957 mpox cases and 739 deaths — a 78.5% increase in new cases from 2022. This year's mpox cases (29,152) represent a 177% increase in new cases for the same period compared to last year.[5][2]
  • The World Bank said Saturday it would provide $128.89M to ten African countries to help them control the outbreak. The Africa CDC has also announced a six-month $600M plan with the WHO to expedite mpox response efforts in affected communities.[6][4]
  • On Aug. 13, the Africa CDC declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. A day later, the WHO classified the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.[2][7]

Sources: [1]Reuters, [2]Africa CDC, [3]CGTN, [4]XINHUA, [5]Devdiscourse, [6]TRT Afrika and [7]Verity.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by The Lancet and Down To Earth. Historically, mpox has been a zoonotic disease with little human-to-human transmission. However, the virus is showing signs of microevolution. In fact, a new virus clade reported in Africa has pandemic potential. The WHO and Africa CDC's failure to provide vaccines and financial resources as soon as the outbreak was identified has cost the world the opportunity to cut mpox's transmission chain.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Africa CDC and Global Times. The mpox virus is spreading. However, international support has been mobilized, and significant strides have been made to contain the outbreak. Thanks to Africa CDC's proactive approach, the WHO's financial support, increased flow of medical supplies into affected areas, and the manufacturing of vaccines in Africa, the continent is on course to address and overcome the epidemic's public health challenges.

Predictions