On Tuesday, the Africa Centre for Disease Control declared a public health emergency in response to the continent’s expanding Mpox outbreak.
The pandemic has spread to other African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo.
There is a major and expanding outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has spread beyond the country. A novel viral strain, discovered in September 2023, has been found for the first time outside of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Since the beginning of this year, the DRC has been facing a significant outbreak of mpox, with over 14,000 confirmed cases and 511 fatalities.
Outbreaks of mpox have been reported in DRC for decades, and the number of cases reported each year has been increasing steadily.
However, the number of cases reported in the first six months of this year matches the number reported last year and the virus has spread to previously unaffected provinces.
“With a heavy heart but with an unyielding commitment to our people, to our African citizens, we declare mpox as a public health emergency of continental security.
“Mpox has now crossed borders, affecting thousands across our continent, families have been torn apart, and the pain and suffering have touched every corner of our continent”, the Director-General of the Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, said during an online media briefing.
Kaseya noted that the declaration is not merely a formality, it is a clarion call to action.
“It is a recognition that we can no longer afford to be reactive. We must be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to contain and eliminate this threat,” he added.